Dirty Ambitions
by 0Zerotolerence
Summary: Amethyst is a prostitute in the Big Apple, and she couldn't be happier. She has amazing friends and has a comfortable life, in her eyes at least. The only problem is that the New York City Police Department started to turn their attention toward her actions. (Human AU. Amedot. Requested pairing by Gemini Artemis. New amazing cover image by reo-coquelicot from Tumblr!)
1. Amethyst at Peace

Dirty Ambitions

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 **Quick Note: This chapter contains heavy sexual content. This pairing was requested by Gemini Artemis. I hope the story I created lives up to your expectations.**

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The nightly life of New York City was always a busy one, even in the midst of winter.

Car alarms were going off, dogs were barking, cats were meowing... the usual.

Then there are quiet activities in the streets. A man was getting mugged, a woman was being kidnapped; But that's to be expected in the hustle and bustle of this city.

But this story covers none of which is mentioned. This story in particular is about a lone prostitute. A young, somewhat portly woman was in the midst of pleasuring a valued customer.

Amethyst was on her knees at the foot of a bed, her tongue working skillfully over the vaginal folds of her customer, her arms hooked under the legs around her head. She could hear and feel her customer moan and tug at her hair. Amethyst didn't blame her. She was just that good at eating pussy.

Soon enough, Vidalia was arching her back, a silent scream escaping her as her orgasm ran through her body. Amethyst thirstily drank from the flowing flower, enjoying the sweet nectar.

Amethyst wore a pair of jeans and a black tank top, though the top was pulled low to reveal her plump breasts. She also had a purple sweater, but that was discarded to the side. Vidalia, currently trying not to die of pleasure, was in just a leather jacket with spikes on the shoulders, the rest of her clothes strewn across the floor.

Now, this prostitute was 'lone' because she only worked for herself.

Amethyst used to have a pimp, but she left him. All he wanted to do was fuck her, and when she wouldn't allow it, he smacked her across the face. Let's just say that he probably won't be having kids after that. That was just fine with Amethyst, anyway. When she worked for that prick, she had mostly male customers. Sperm didn't taste nearly as good to her as the gourmet in her face right now.

This was the life to Amethyst. She was able to enjoy the taste of sweet, womanly flowers, "take care" of herself afterwards, and the pay was still plenty to live off of. Well, not really. The pay was actually shit.

Still, Amethyst would rather be barely living doing what she liked than be comfortable doing what she hated. But that's beside the point.

Vidalia's breath was low and ragged, her chest heaving as she covered her eyes with an arm. Amethyst always had this effect on the woman. She pulled away from between Vidalia's legs, locking her fingers together and raising them in a stretch.

"Was I as good as ever, babe?"

Vidalia chuckled, her laugh throaty. She was out of breath, taking a few seconds to actually speak. "Fuck. Yes."

Amethyst smirked. "Glad to hear it. You got one of my favorite cunts to munch on."

Amethyst waited a few more minutes, pulling her top over her breasts to cover them while Vidalia caught her breath. It was fun watching her clients writhe under her administrations, especially when they were so out of breath and sweaty afterwards. Sure, getting paid was nice, but knowing that she could do such a thing boosted her ego immensely.

Vidalia finally caught her second wind, slowly sitting up from the bed she laid on. She stood up, making her way around the bed to her purse, which sat on a nightstand. "God, you're worth every penny. I mean, fuck, man..."

"I'd better be." Amethyst said, chuckling as she took a seat on the bed after collecting her sweater from the floor. "I don't make a living on this for being an amateur."

Vidalia turned back around from her purse, holding out five, twenty dollar bills for Amethyst to take, which she did.

"And you're sure you don't want me to fuck you for once?" Vidalia asked, bending to pick her clothes up from the floor, getting dressed. "I know you're a whore for hire, but still; you're my friend, too."

"Nah, thanks though." Amethyst pocketed her money, leaning back on the bed afterwards, her arms propping her up. "My fingers work just fine, for me."

"What, you don't have any toys?"

Amethyst shook her head. "Nope. I'm all natural."

Vidalia had put on her underwear and jeans, deciding to just zip up her jacket to cover her breasts. She sat beside Amethyst, slipping her boots on her feet.

"I swear, Amethyst, if I didn't know you, I'd think you were a virgin."

"Heh, yeah. You'd think so."

Truth be told, Vidalia didn't hit too far from the bulls-eye.

* * *

Amethyst grew up an orphan. She was abandoned on the doorstep of a random building by her parents and was taken to an orphanage by the family she was left with. Sadly, no one seemed to want her.

Amethyst was an outcast, the black sheep, so to speak. This had a negative effect on her character, which caused her to act rambunctious and childish, even in her teen years. Eventually, she just left on her own. Though she was well fed in the orphanage for most of her life, she preferred the life on the road. She hitchhiked, sneaked her way onto city buses, even did a few odd chores for people in return for staying the night at their place. That's just how Amethyst liked to live: free and unchained by any social standards. This went on for a couple of years until she arrived in New York at nineteen years old, where she had felt as if she found a home. The city was easy to navigate for one that was used to traveling for so long, and there was always something new to experience here. It was also where she found out what she loved to do most: exchange pleasure for money.

The pimp that found Amethyst seemed nice at first. He offered her the job that she has now, and showed her what to do on a few eighteen to nineteen year old virgins that were eager to have their first blow. She found this enjoyable, until she had her first female customer. Oddly enough, it was Vidalia. She was a good client to the pimp, who also seemed to be her lover. His name is Marty.

When Marty introduced the two, Amethyst and Vidalia had an instant connection. Not one of romance, not at all. Their connection was more along the lines of "fuck buddy best friends." Of course, Amethyst was the only giver. She'd never once allowed Vidalia to pleasure her, no matter how much she wanted to. It was just how she wanted it to be, and she was happy with it.

Then Marty got cocky. He thought that since Amethyst enjoyed her job _**so much,**_ he deserved a little more... compensation for introducing her to the lifestyle of prostitution. When Amethyst refused, well, what happened has already been mention.

Amethyst told what happened to Vidalia, and she dumped Marty on the spot. Vidalia offered that Amethyst come to live with her in her apartment, but Amethyst refused. She liked living on her own terms.

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This brings us to where our story begins. Amethyst still lived on her own, in the cheapest apartment she could find. When she needed a bit of extra cash, she offered to do chores for some people in the streets. Most refused, but the ones that did accept Amethyst's offer paid handsomely, at least enough for her to live comfortably for a week or two. She hung out with Vidalia when she had some free time, and when Vidalia required her "assistance," she was always sure to pay Amethyst well.

Amethyst was standing outside of Vidalia's door, waving goodbye to her friend. As Vidalia closed her door, Amethyst made her way down the street in the direction of her own home.

In the slums of New York, where Amethyst lived, everybody knew her. She was greeted by many friendly faces, all of which never once asked Amethyst for her services. Pearl waved from her place at the outdoor soup kitchen she was volunteering at, and Amethyst walked over to stand beside her friend. Pearl was wearing a long sleeved, yellow sweater and blue jeans, an apron over her shoulders.

"Hey P, how are things going?" Amethyst asked

"Oh, splendid!" Pearl exclaimed, scooping some vegetable soup into a bowl and serving it to the next person in line. "We have plenty of food today, like we've had for the last few weeks. Oh Greg, how are you?"

After the man Pearl had first served took his portion and left, a stoutly man walked up to the booth, a small child standing beside him and holding onto his hand. He was in a green turtleneck, and the boy beside him was in a red jacket. They both had pants, the father wearing khakis while his son wore jeans. Greg took the bowl of hot soup that Pearl offered him, bending down to give the food to his son. Normally Greg would refuse Pearl's offer, but after several other times, Greg felt it best to just give up. Pearl wanted to feed Steven whenever she could.

"Careful Steven. It's hot, okay?"

Steven graciously took the bowl. "Thank you." He said quietly, gently blowing on the soup.

Greg stood up to answer Pearl. "I'm doing well, thanks. This place has really gotten a lot more lively. More people are happy, more people are fed; it's a miracle."

"Yes, it is." Pearl shot a quick glance to Amethyst, who was on her knees and speaking to Steven. The boy's smile was wide, and his laughter was pure harmony to Pearl's ears.

Amethyst was a wonder. Pearl found it hard to believe that this girl, this prostitute had done so much for this part of the city. Amethyst didn't gain anything, she didn't even _want_ to gain anything for her actions. She made Steven happy when Pearl couldn't, she used her hard earned money to help sustain the soup kitchen, even gave Greg some money to buy himself and his son some winter clothing, even though he was the husband of a landlord and made his own money performing in the streets.

Amethyst was the purest being that Pearl had ever met, yet her job was of the most impure circumstances. Amethyst pat Steven's head before returning to Pearl's side, laying a couple of twenties on the booth beside the pot.

"Here's something for you. This should get you a bunch of cans for next week."

"Amethyst, please. You've done plenty enough for us already. We have plenty of rations to last us the next month, let alone the next week."

"But.."

"Yeah, we'll be fine." Greg said, ruffling Steven's hair as he put a spoonful of the soup in his mouth. "Really, Amethyst, treat yourself once in a while. You deserve a day off more than any of us."

Amethyst couldn't help but smile, taking back the money she put down. "Thanks guys. I need to pay my rent anyway."

"You know that Rose doesn't- " Greg started, but Amethyst interrupted him.

"I know, Greg. But I have my job for a reason."

Greg sighed, nodding reluctantly. "Alright. Good luck telling my wife that, though."

Amethyst chuckled, waving to her friends in turn as she turned and continued her walk toward her apartment.

This was what Amethyst enjoyed. Seeing the happy faces on the faces of the people she met, the people she did chores for, the people who were generous enough to give her a ride, and even the people she 'serviced' as part of her job. She loved seeing the genuine smiles on their faces when she engaged them in conversation. She listened to their problems, gave them a shoulder to cry on, and all the while, she enjoyed being there.

The people in this world were so significant, so special in their own way. Amethyst felt this about herself as well, but in a different way. She felt that she was on this planet to take pain away from the people she encountered, and she's been doing just that.

As she neared the apartment complex, Amethyst was stopped by a hand on her shoulder. Turning around, she saw Garnet, clad in her officer uniform, except for the hat. Garnet hated that hat.

"Hello Amethyst. Where have you been all day?" Garnet questioned.

"Oh, you know, places." Amethyst chuckled while Garnet questioned her. Garnet had threatened her with jail time before, but that didn't stop her from doing her job.

Garnet put a hand on her hip, a sigh escaping her lips. "Listen. I like that you're so kind to everyone here, that you help them, but I can't protect you for much longer. We arrested Marty."

Amethyst would have found this information to be rather joyful, under different circumstances. But she knew what this meant for her.

"He was our main priority, but now he's gone. Everyone in New York knows about you. Please don't let me catch you on a corner."

"Yeah..." Amethyst nodded, rubbing the back of her head. "Yeah, Garnet. Thanks for telling me."

That was all Garnet needed to say. She turned and made her way up the street, toward her police car parked nearby. Seems like she was waiting on Amethyst to show up for a while.

Amethyst could hardly believe this. She'd have to be extremely careful now. Shaking her head, she started her way toward her apartment complex, meeting no more interruptions.

Amethyst knocked on the door of a separate building beside the complex, where Rose's office and living space was. Rose opened the door from the other side, her eyes shining in delight when she saw who was at the door.

"Oh Amethyst, come in, come in. I have some tea brewing in the kitchen." Rose offered, stepping to the side to allow Amethyst to pass.

Amethyst smiled and stepped inside, nodding to Rose in thanks. "Thanks Rosy."

The place was rather modest, despite Rose's wealth. She wasn't rich by any means, but she had plenty enough money to live comfortably. At the very least, Amethyst thought the landlady could afford a flat screen T.V rather than the box television in front of her and the couch she occupied after entering the building. At least it was big. Pictures of Rose and her family adorned the walls, and a small coffee table was in the middle of the living room. It was a nice place. Not glamorous, but nice.

Rose came back from the kitchen, her long brunette hair pulled up into a messy and hurried ponytail, holding a platter of tea cups and a teapot. Amethyst thought that her host looked rather attractive. If only she wasn't married, maybe Amethyst would be able to get between those gorgeous legs.

Rose placed the tea on the coffee table, pouring Amethyst a cup of tea. Rose handed the cup to her, who took it with a thanks.

"It's hot, so be careful. Blow it if you have to."

"Doesn't look like a dick to me." Amethyst joked, causing Rose to laugh as she poured her own tea, taking a seat beside her guest.

"You know what I mean. I thought you stopped taking male clients anyway."

Amethyst took a sip from her drink, sighing as the warmth spread through her. She set her cup on the coffee table before answering Rose. "I did. Doesn't mean I can't joke about it."

Rose laughed, struggling to keep her own tea from spilling as she did so. "That's true."

"Oh, I forgot." Amethyst dug in her pocket, pulling from it the twenties that she earned from Vidalia. Rose shook her head at the sight of the money.

"Amethyst, you've done enough for me already. You don't have to pay rent, I've told you this."

"I know, but hear me out." Amethyst started, laying the money on the coffee table. "I don't want any special treatment, okay? Just because I help out around hear doesn't mean I shouldn't pay rent like anybody else with a job and an apartment." Rose opened her mouth to protest, but Amethyst cut her off. "Just take the fucking money, Rose. Please?"

Rose arched an eyebrow, a smirk curling at her lips. "...was that a pun?" The two laughed together, and Rose reluctantly took Amethyst's payment. Though, she only took eighty dollars and left Amethyst a twenty for herself. "Use that to feed yourself, at the very least.."

Amethyst nodded reluctantly, taking the money. "Alright. I could go on a diet, though. I dunno how I'm so fat with how little I eat."

"Please, you're not fat at all." Rose scoffed. "You've got all the right curves in all the right places. Don't you dare think otherwise."

Amethyst's word of 'thanks' was interrupted by a knock at the door. Rose set her cup of tea on the coffee table, standing from the couch to greet the person at her door. Opening it revealed a pale looking woman. She was blonde, and her hair seemed to be in a rather triangular shape. She wore a green hoodie, her hands in its pockets. Her sweatpants were also green, as well as her shoes. Even her glasses had a green rim to them. Amethyst's first impression was that the Hulk jizzed all over her clothes.

Rose greeted the newcomer with enthusiasm, as she usually did. She was just the type of woman to be that nice. "Oh hello! How can I help you."

The blonde girl bit her lip, obviously not used to being greeted like this. She took a deep breath before speaking.

"Is Amethyst here? I'd like to... hire her."

"Over here, dude."

Rose stepped out of the way so that the newcomer could get a clear look at the one she was looking for. The blonde just stared at first. She looked... different, than what people described her as. A small blush on her face, she cleared her throat.

"Hello. My name is Peridot."

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 **Author's Note:**

 **Yes, another alternate universe where the gems are human. I really like writing stories like this, because it gives me so much more to work with. I like sticking to the plot when writing about the actual Crystal Gems, so that doesn't give me a lot of options. I envy the people that can do what I can't. xD Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the first chapter of "Dirty Ambitions." I'm always excited to write something new for you guys. And thanks again to Gemini Artemis. If she didn't request this Amedot story, I might not have thought this up, and I enjoy writing it immensely. As always, so long for now.**

 **PS: This chapter has been edited to fit my current style of writing. I hope it's better for you guys.**


	2. A Long Ride

"I swear, Greg and Steven are the only ones around here with normal names."

Amethyst said this, sipping from her tea afterward. Peridot could understand what she meant. Most of the people in this part of town were named after gemstones. It was rather odd.

Rose ushered Peridot into her house from out of the cold, and she eagerly accepted the offer. Rose herself stepped outside. If Peridot really was going to ask for Amethyst's services, she'd rather not be present. It was a private discussion, after all.

"So you said you wanted to hire me?" Amethyst asked, setting her tea cup down on the coffee table.

Peridot nodded, standing awkwardly in the middle of the room. She had no idea what to do in a stranger's home.

"I've heard about you. You have quite the reputation."

"Good." Amethyst put her hands behind her head, smirking. "If people didn't know about me, I wouldn't be good at what I do."

"I see." Peridot wasn't very good at conversation. She adjusted her glasses, taking a look around the living room. "This is a nice place."

"Yeah, shame it's not mine." Amethyst was perfectly fine with idle chit chat, but it was getting late, and she was getting tired. Her beloved bed was waiting for her. "But let's talk business. I'm good with pretty much anything, just no shit, or piss, or blood, or anything that has to do with coming out of the body. That's pretty fucking gross."

"What do you mean, 'anything'?" Peridot asked, recoiling a bit at the vulgar language Amethyst used. She almost regretted her question as soon as she asked it.

"Well, I'm not like a lot of hookers." Amethyst started, leaning forward, hands propping her up between her legs. "I'm totally clean of diseases, and I only take clean clients, too. I'm okay with kissing, spanking, BDSM, you name it. As long as it's not what I said before, we're golden. And if you request something I haven't mentioned that I don't do, I'll tell you. That's it."

Peridot understood, more or less. She actually didn't expect this sort of thing. She had always thought that one just paid a prostitute to give them an orgasm, and that was it. It seemed so much more complicated.

"W-well... I'll try to think about it." Peridot mentally kicked herself for her stutter. She didn't want to mess this up.

Amethyst stood from her seat, stretching her arms above her head.

"Alright then. You got a place we can go to? I'd let you in my apartment, but I don't wanna have to wash my sheets. I'm tired as it is."

"If you're tired, I can come back in the morning. If you want." _God dammit, Peridot._ She thought to herself.

"Oh my god.." Amethyst whispered in realization. Peridot was too shy, too forgiving. "You're a virgin, aren't you?"

Peridot's face immediately glowed in a heated blush.

"Is that a problem?!" She asked, embarrassed. She's already gotten a lot of crap for never having sex at her age.

"Well no." Amethyst started, walking around the coffee table. She wrapped her arm around Peridot's shoulders. "But it's not the best idea to get your cherry popped by a whore. I say this to everyone who wants me as their first time: you need to do it with someone you care about." Amethyst pulled away from Peridot, putting her hands in her pockets. "But if you're still willing to pay, I'll take you up on the offer. I'm just saying."

Peridot was shocked, to be entirely honest. She didn't expect a prostitute to be so considerate. But she had made up her mind before she even left her house. She wanted this. She was sure of it.

"I'd still like to hire you. I have plenty of money."

"Suit yourself." Amethyst made her way to the door of the house, talking to Peridot as she walked. "You got a place we can go to? I'm not against fucking you in a car."

"W-we can go to my place." Peridot couldn't even imagine doing such an act in a vehicle. What if someone saw them? Of course, her windows were tinted, but.. her driver might see. "It's um.. quite a drive."

"If it's gonna take that long, I could just spend the night at your place, but it'll cost extra."

"I can afford it." For the first time since arriving at this place, Peridot felt confident. She walked passed Amethyst out of the door, making her way down the street to the road at the end. Amethyst let out a low whistle, following her client.

Outside, even though it was getting so late in the night, no one was asleep. In fact, they were all wide awake, crowding around.. something, at the end of the street. Even Rose, Greg, and Steven were around the object, the child sitting on his father's shoulders.

"It's so long, and black! What is it?"

"That's a limo, Steven. I wonder why it's here, though."

"And the man standing beside it is as tall as mom!"

"That's a woman, Steven."

As Amethyst and Peridot neared the crowd, catching the conversation between father and son, the prostitute turned toward her client, a shocked expression on her face.

"No way.." She breathed out, causing the blonde to smirk.

"Yes. It's mine."

Peridot made her way through the crowd, closely followed by Amethyst. Jasper, the big 'man' that Steven was so entranced by, was dressed in a black suit, though she wore a skirt, showing off her muscular legs. She would prefer to wear pants, but even though she was more masculine than most every man in New York, Jasper had to wear the woman's uniform. She stepped to the side, opening the limo door for Peridot.

"Miss Diamond. Whore."

"Jasper, she's a guest. Even with her 'reputation', you'll treat her as such." Peridot scolded her chauffeur, climbing into the back of the limo. Amethyst followed, seemingly unfazed by the comment from the driver. She's been called much worse, before. Jasper only begrudgingly nodded, closing the door of the limousine.

"You didn't come off as a rich girl to me." Amethyst commented, looking around the inside of the vehicle. It was rather large and open spaced. There was even a button on the wall that opened up a cooler that was installed in the middle of the floor. Though, she was sure that neither of them were in the mood for a cold drink. She and Peridot sat across from each other.

"I'm adopted." Peridot stated flatly. She wanted to get this information out of the way, so that there would be no awkwardness in the future.

"So Diamond isn't your last name?"

"No, and before you ask, I don't remember my last name. Please don't ask any questions about my past."

Amethyst shrugged, crossing her arms as she leaned back against very comfortable cushions. Jasper had already started the limo, forcing the crowd around it to disperse. Amethyst watched her friends disappear in the distance as the vehicle sped away from her home.

"Customer's always right.." Amethyst whispered absentmindedly.

The car ride was silent, for a time. Peridot obviously lived in the more ritzy bits of New York, so it would take quite a while to reach their destination. During this time, Amethyst played with the button to open and close the cooler, watching as the lid slid back and forth. It annoyed Peridot to no end.

"Will you stop that?" Peridot asked calmly. She took her glasses off, wiping the lenses on her hoodie.

"I'm so bored, though!" Amethyst whined, allowing herself to sink down in her seat. "I didn't know limos would be so fucking quiet. Where's all the strobe lights and shit?"

"You watch way too much television." Peridot couldn't help but smirk at her companion's words. She found it almost adorable to see her in such distress of boredom. Placing her glasses back on her face, she tried to think of a way to keep Amethyst entertained. "Well, why don't we talk?"

"About what?" Amethyst asked in anticipation, obviously eager for any sort of entertainment. She put herself up straight in her seat, expectantly staring at her client. Peridot blushed under this intense stare, averting her eyes.

"W-well.. how did you get your job?" Again, Peridot hated herself for her words. Her embarrassed stutter would kill her eventually.

"It's a long story. But I'm sure we have time!" She yelled this so that Jasper would hear her voice, and the driver retorted angrily.

"We'll get there when we get there!"

Amethyst laughed, and even Peridot let out a little chuckle. It was sort of fun seeing Jasper get mad. Amethyst came down from her laughter, clearing her throat with a cough. She began her little story.

"Well. I'm an orphan too. I've been traveling pretty much my whole life, except for the years I spent in the orphanage." As she said this, Amethyst was sort of surprised to see that Peridot was listening so intently. Maybe she was surprised that a whore would actually talk about her past? It didn't really matter. Amethyst just felt that the past was just that, and it lead her to where she is now.

"I left when I was sixteen, and I've been on my own since. 'Course I did a few favors for some people to let me stay the night at their place when I was tired of the comfiest pile of rocks." Amethyst chuckled at this, remembering how hard it was to get to sleep the first night away from the orphanage. She continued. "When I showed up in New York, I met a pimp, and he got me into what I do today. I'm on my own now, though. That guy was a dick, anyway."

"Are you talking about Marty?" Jasper asked from the driver's seat, having overheard the conversation.

"Yeah, you know him?"

"Bastard tried to get me to pay for one of his girls to give me a good time a couple years back. When he realized I didn't have any man-meat between my legs, he actually hit on me. I kicked him in the balls."

"Same here, girl." Amethyst said, laughing. "I'll be surprised if he'll ever have any kids." Jasper laughed as well.

"You're not so bad for a whore."

"Jasper!" Peridot scolded, her face alight. She didn't want to offend Amethyst in any way, but Amethyst ignored both the comment and Peridot.

"Like I told Peri here, I'm not like other hookers. I'm clean, and all my clients are required to be clean. I do all the work, and they just lay there and enjoy themselves. That's how I roll."

"Peri?" Peridot was confused at the use of this nickname. Did Amethyst feel that comfortable around strangers?

"You know what, maybe I'll hire you myself one of these days." Jasper admitted, turning a corner in the street. From the looks of their surroundings, the limo was closing in on its destination. "After deflowering Miss Diamond, you could visit me in my room. I'm sure you'd have enough stamina."

Peridot's face couldn't possibly get a deeper shade of red at her driver's words. Why did she have to say it like that?

"Jasper, that's none of your concer-"

"Hell, if you got the money, I'd rock your world all night." Amethyst interrupted Peridot, much to her peaking rage.

 _ **"Stop ignoring me!"**_


	3. Taking It Slow

The limo was finally pulling up to this gargantuan of a house. Amethyst was surprised that the whole thing was still intact. They were in New York, after all. It had to be the prime target for thieves and mercenaries.

From the front, it looked absolutely gorgeous. The courtyard had a fountain in the middle of the walkway, four dolphins representing the four main directions of the globe. On the left and right of the fountain was a beautiful garden, rose bushes lining the walkways. And the gate was just as huge in proportion to the house, its intricate designs seeming to be crafted masterfully by hand. And the walls around the building were large as well. Anyone would need an aircraft to get across them. It looked just like any stereotypical mansion, but it seemed to glow, somehow.

Amethyst was pretty impressed, to say the least.

"You got some sweet digs, Peri." She whispered in awe as Jasper pulled up to the gate.

Peridot didn't mind the use of this nickname this time. It was worth it to see Amethyst so enraptured.

Jasper stepped out of the vehicle, standing to the side of the gate. There was number pad and some sort of scanner, most likely for hand prints. Amethyst's assumption was right, because after Jasper punched in a series of numbers on the keypad, the scanner lit up. Jasper put her hand on the pad after removing her glove. Once she was recognized, a panel opened up next to the scanner, revealing another, smaller scanner for the eyes. Amethyst stopped watching in boredom.

"What's with all this security shit?" Amethyst asked Peridot, who wrinkled her nose in indignation.

"My foster parent is very protective." Peridot said as she adjusted her glasses. "Though I was the one who installed the security system in the first place." Amethyst couldn't believe her.

"You're not serious." Amethyst said with a chuckle, but the look on Peridot's face made Amethyst a little.. uncomfortable. "Oh shit, you are serious."

"Yes, I am." Peridot said with a sigh. They felt the limo start to move again, and Peridot began to explain. "I was adopted by this family when I was thirteen. The woman who came to the orphanage saw me turn a box television into an HD quality screen just by using the front desk lady's iPhone. She was impressed.. and I was happy to get some recognition, but.."

Peridot paused here, staring out the window. She seemed to be deep in thought. Amethyst spoke up instead.

"Hey, you said to not ask you about your past, so you don't gotta talk about it, okay?"

Peridot had a small smile on her face at this. Amethyst's reputation as a kind soul was really something to believe in.

The limo stopped once again, and after a few seconds, the door to the limousine opened to allow Peridot and Amethyst to exit. Peridot stepped out first, helped by Jasper. Amethyst refused the hand of aid as she followed. That was just fine with Jasper.

"So where is your mom, anyway?" Amethyst asked Peridot, but Jasper was the one that answered.

"Yellow Diamond is on a business trip to Italy. She won't be back for a few weeks, at the very least."

"So her first name is Yellow?" This just got better and better. First, everyone Amethyst met had the name of some sort of gem, including herself, but now fucking colors were involved?

"Yeah. It's weird to me, too." Jasper admitted, opening the door to the mansion. She stepped to the side, allowing Peridot and Amethyst to enter the building. The inside was just as extravagant as the outside.

"The maid will lead you to Miss Diamond's room. If you need me, I'll be in the guest house." Jasper informed, then closed the door.

"There's a guest _house_?" Amethyst asked Peridot, who leaned against the wall.

"It's behind the mansion. It's about a fourth the size of it. Still, it's pretty big."

"I bet." Amethyst couldn't even dream about living in this mansion, let alone a house that's just a fraction of the mansion's size. "Anyway, who's this maid of yours? She hot?"

"She is attractive, yes." Peridot smiled, seemingly lost in thought. "I had the biggest crush on her when I was first adopted, but it just wouldn't work out. First of all, we were both barely in our teens."

"Yeah, romance is hard at that age."

"When we got older, we just decided to be friends. It's better that way." Amethyst nodded. It was the same way with herself and Vidalia.

"There she is." Peridot stood up straight from the wall, looking toward the stairs in the middle of the grand hall that lead up to the second floor.

Down the stairs came a girl of average height, her hair a dark black. She was dressed in a simple maid outfit, wearing a black dress with a long white apron. She immediately threw all formalities aside, wrapping her arms around Peridot in a quick, tight hug. Pulling away, the maid gave her employer a very stern look.

"I made dinner five hours ago. You said you were gonna be late, but seriously Peri. Do you even know what time it is?"

"Oh, you call her that too." Amethyst stated, but was ignored by the maid, who continued to stare Peridot down. She smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head.

"Well, Lapis, um.. ten-thirty?"

"It's almost twelve."

"Oh."

Amethyst just laughed, not believing that Peridot really didn't know it was so late when she came to hire her. Lapis sighed, turning her attention to Amethyst. Her facial expression softened in politeness, her hands clasped in front of her as she gave a little bow.

"Hello. Miss Diamond has talked a lot about you. I hope you will treat her well tonight."

"Talked about me?" Amethyst asked, smirking at Peridot. Peridot blushed deeply, averting her eyes. "How long have you been watching me, huh?"

"Oh, just.. just a few days." Peridot chuckled nervously, and Lapis cocked her head to the side in confusion.

"A few days? But yo-"

"Okay, that's enough with the introductions!" Peridot said loudly, grabbing Amethyst's hand and leading her upstairs. "Just put the dinner in the fridge, Lapis, I'll eat it for breakfast. Have a good night!"

Amethyst was just as confused as Lapis was, but it wasn't her place to ask questions. It was obvious that Peridot had watched her for a longer amount of time, but she must have her reasons for lying. Maybe she just didn't want to seem like a stalker.

As the two girls walked up the stairs and through the hallways of the mansion, Amethyst found the place to be much bigger on the inside. She stared in awe at the artwork adorning the walls, and the many doors as well. Peridot answered Amethyst's silent question.

"My foster mother likes to feel extravagant. No one lives in these rooms, but they're all fully furnished. They all even have their own separate bathroom."

"Maybe your mom would let me live here if I fuck her."

"That's the first thing that you think about?" Peridot asked in disbelief, to which Amethyst shrugged.

"I'm a hooker. Can you blame me?"

"I guess not.. but just remember, you're mine for the night." Amethyst let out a low whistle. She thought that Peridot's words were actually pretty sexy.

Peridot lead Amethyst to the end of one particular hallway, which happened to be at the back of the building. She opened the last door on the right, which opened up to reveal... a rather plain looking room.

The walls were painted green, and the bed had green sheets, but other than that, it didn't look nearly as extravagant as the rest of the mansion. The most expensive thing in the room was probably the flat screen T.V on the wall which some game systems were connected to.

"For a rich girl, you look like you live pretty cheaply. I expected some sort of epic massage bed, or something." Amethyst commented.

"I prefer to live comfortably. I was most comfortable in the orphanage, and this is the closest to it that my foster mother would allow."

Amethyst could understand that. She only felt comfortable when living on her own conditions, but she believed that the orphanage she used to live in brought out that side of her. Personality originated in the child, they say.

"Alright. So we gonna get started or what?"

This was the moment that Peridot was anticipating... and dreading. She took a deep breath, taking a seat on her bed. Amethyst stood, allowing Peridot to move at her own pace. After a few seconds of silence, Peridot answered Amethyst's question.

"I.. don't know what to do. You know that already, though."

"Yeah, I guessed as much." Amethyst was here to please her customer. That didn't mean she couldn't be blunt and straight forward. She sat beside her client on the bed, placing a gentle hand on her thigh. Back and forth across Peridot's leg she went, in an attempt to comfort and hopefully arouse the rich girl. "If you want.. you can just lay back and let me work my magic. You don't have to do a thing."

The hand on Peridot's leg did comfort her, if just a little. She took another deep breath, a small smile on her face.

"I think that would be for the best. Be gentle?"

"Yeah. Yeah, of course."

Amethyst stood from the bed, stripping her purple sweater from her body, shaking the hair from her face afterwards. Her hair was dyed a pure silver, but the natural color was more of a brunette. She felt this look suited her better, anyway.

A blush grew on Peridot's face when she saw that Amethyst was just wearing a black tank top under her sweater. In this freezing weather, she expected Amethyst to at least have on a tee shirt. Her blush grew even darker when Amethyst slowly brought her hands to Peridot's glasses, removing them.

"These will just get in the way." Amethyst said, her voice now low and sensual. She placed the glasses on the dresser under Peridot's television. Slowly, Amethyst placed her hands on Peridot's shoulders. She whispered, her voice stimulating.

"Close your eyes."

Peridot's eyelids suddenly felt heavy. It was as if Amethyst's words were part of a spell, and Peridot was captured in the magic. She closed her eyes.

It felt as if an eternity could pass and the she wouldn't even know it. Her thoughts were jumbled with questions. _What's she going to do?_ She felt Amethyst's hands slowly move to her neck, fingers dancing across the sensitive skin, leaving Peridot in a shivering state. _Her fingers feel nice._ One of the hands rested on Peridot's cheek, the other making it's way to the back of Peridot's neck. _When is it going to happen?_

Peridot didn't need to wait long for the answer to her last question. She felt some sort of flesh push against her mouth. She desperately wanted to open her eyes, to see what Amethyst was doing, but she couldn't. She was told to close her eyes, so she did.

The soft flesh against her mouth opened slightly, gently taking Peridot's bottom lip in the opening.

Then it felt as if her lips was being suckled on.

Peridot felt her throat tighten. She heard herself let out a soft moan. What was Amethyst doing?

Just as slowly as the action took to begin, it ended even more quickly.

"Alright. Open your eyes and tell me how you feel."

Peridot obediently did what she was told. Her eyes fluttered opened, and she only just realized that her left hand had rested itself on Amethyst's side. She pulled her hand away, surprised with herself. Was she really that comfortable during... whatever just happened?

Seeing Peridot's reaction, Amethyst immediately put two and two together.

"I was just your first kiss, wasn't I?"

"That was a kiss?" Peridot asked, unintentionally answering Amethyst's question. Amethyst just nodded, smiling goofily. She actually found this rather adorable.

"Well, I'm honored to be the object of so many 'firsts' for you."

"Can.. can we continue?" Peridot rather liked the kiss, even if she didn't know exactly how it made her feel. It was so foreign, so.. new.

Amethyst nodded, once again putting her hands on Peridot's shoulders. She pushed gently, and Peridot leaned backwards, allowing Amethyst to crawl on top of her.

Amethyst's silver hair draped across the side of her face, some stray strands tickling Peridot's cheek. She was completely enraptured with Amethyst. Copying what she had done earlier, Peridot brought a hand to cup Amethyst's cheek.

Slowly, steadily, Amethyst allowed herself to fall downward, bringing hers and Peridot's lips together again.

Peridot closed her eyes once more, but this time, she was completely aware that she was kissing Amethyst.

And she _**fucking**_ loved it.


	4. Sleeping Together

Amethyst wanted to make sure that Peridot's first time would be memorable.. She was slow, precise, calm.. everything she could be to keep the blonde girl comfortable. Their lips smacked together, only audible because it was the only noise in the room aside from the occasional groan from the rich girl.

After a few minutes of just this, Amethyst pulled away from the blonde's lips. Peridot would have let out a whine, but her breath was cut off when the prostitute attacked her neck.

Those plump, soft lips against her sensitive skin sent Peridot in a fit of shivers. It was extraordinary, and yet, it wasn't logical. Why would such contact be pleasurable? It didn't matter.. it just was.

Amethyst's hands slowly moved down peridot's body, her thumbs sliding under the hoodie she wore. She pulled the fabric up, forcing the rich girl to lift her arms so that Amethyst could remove the fabric. When she did, she threw it to the floor to join her own sweater.

Amethyst began kissing Peridot's neck again, her hands kneading the rich girl's breasts through her tee shirt, which was also green. The prostitute would have to tease her about it later.

Peridot could hardly believe what she was feeling. She could feel her nipples harden, but.. she wasn't cold. She could feel a wetness between her legs, but.. she wasn't on her cycle. She was turned on, and was loving every second of it. She only wished that she could return the favor..

Amethyst was proud of her own skill. Peridot's breath in her ear was quick, and the prostitute knew she was the cause. Her teeth came into play, gently scraping the rich girl's neck. Peridot gasped at this, clutching at Amethyst's back, her nails almost tearing at the fabric of the prostitute's tank top.

Amethyst paused in her administrations, whispering in Peridot's ear. Her voice sent shivers up the blonde's spine.

"If you're gonna scratch my back, let me make sure my top doesn't get ruined.."

The silver haired girl then sat up, straddling Peridot as she lifted her top up and over her body, tossing it aside. She was now naked from the waist up, and Peridot had a hard time keeping her eyes off of Amethyst's voluptuous breasts.

"Well, here I am.." Amethyst started, rather enjoying Peridot's reactions. "Let's get you out of that shirt."

Before she even knew it, Peridot was lifting her shirt up her body. As soon as the fabric was tossed aside, Amethyst went to kiss her client again.

The two bodies writhed on the bed, their positions switching from top and bottom over and over again. Peridot never realized that Amethyst had taken her bra off until she felt a soft hand on her bare, smaller than average tit.

"Oh God.." Peridot whispered, biting her lips as Amethyst's fingers tweaked her nipple.

"We haven't gotten started yet." Amethyst teased, bringing her knee into play. She lightly rubbed her knee in between Peridot's legs, teasing at the vagina covered by outer clothing. The rich girl felt a multitude of static jolts throughout her body. She could feel the burning sensation in her pussy, she could feel the pleasure of this act as well as the frustration. This was pure bliss.

That was, until Amethyst's other hand reached down, her thumb slipping passed the waistband of Peridot's sweat pants, under her panties. The rich girl's eyes grew wide, and she suddenly felt.. scared.

"Wait! Wait wait wait.." She spoke quickly, and Amethyst paused. Peridot pulled herself out from under the prostitute and turned away, breathing heavily, hugging herself at the arms.

Amethyst sat on her knees, leaning on an arm. She expected this.. really, the rich girl got further than the prostitute thought she would. She crawled to Peridot's side, gently rubbing her back.

"Hey.. you okay?"

Peridot nodded, a small smile forming on her face.

"Yes.. I'm fine. I just.. can we try again some other time?" Her question was desperate.. Amethyst could tell.

The prostitute nodded, kissing Peridot's cheek.

"Yeah, of course. Like I said, it's all your call."

That was really sweet of Amethyst to do.. Peridot brought a hand to her cheek, enjoying the lingering feeling of the lips that were placed upon it.

"Thanks.. if it's any consolation, I really liked everything so far."

"Knew you would." Amethyst replied cockily, standing from the bed and stretching. She would be lying if she said she wasn't a little disappointed. She was enjoying her time with the rich girl.. which was odd.

She's never had so much fun before. Amethyst could still feel the electricity in her lips from that first kiss. She even found herself stealing quick glances at the girl in green as she redressed herself in just her tee shirt, discarding her bra and hoodie in a dirty clothes hamper. Is this how she slept, just in a tee shirt and sweat pants?

"Thank you.." Peridot said again, bringing the prostitute from her thoughts. The rich girl kicked off her shoes and climbed into her bed, sighing as she got comfortable.

"No problem, Peri." Amethyst replied, beginning to collect her clothes from the floor. "Got a guest room I could sleep in? Stupid question, of course you do." She said with a chuckle.

"You can sleep in here, if you'd like."

Amethyst wasn't against sleeping with her clients after.. sleeping with them. But for some reason, she felt as if this was going to be a really life changing answer. She couldn't understand why for the life of her, but.. she was sort of scared.

"Y-yeah.. sure. Thanks." She cursed herself silently for the stutter, but luckily, Peridot didn't seem to catch it. Amethyst slipped her tank top over her body, covering her breasts. She figured that leaving her sweater on the floor would be just fine.

"Okay if I take off my pants?"

"Sure, as long as you don't try to get into mine during the night."

"Did you just make a joke?" Amethyst asked, laughing as she unbuttoned her jeans, slipping her shoes off as she slid her pants down and off her body. Peridot shrugged.

"You'd be surprised what I say when I'm comfortable around people."

Amethyst climbed into the bed, slipping herself under the blanket with Peridot, facing her.

"And you're comfortable around me?"

"Well.." Peridot paused, averting her eyes for just a second before she continued. "You haven't given me a reason not to be."

"I'm a whore and almost a complete stranger."

"But you're a good person."

Amethyst heard these words before.. from so many people. Pearl, Rose, Greg, Vidalia, even little Steven. But hearing this from the rich girl, who she expected to be a stuck up snob, was special for some reason. She smiled, and without thinking, gave Peridot a quick, chaste kiss to her lips. She then turned around, facing the end of the bed.

"Goodnight, Peri.."

Peridot couldn't help but smile. As she turned around, facing her own side of the bed, she whispered.

"Goodnight, Amethyst."

* * *

"Rise and shine, Miss Diamond!"

Peridot practically hissed as the curtains to her room were rudely opened by her maid, Lapis. She pulled her blanket over her head, her voice muffled from under the cloth.

"Fuck off.."

"Come on now, it's not my fault you went out so late to hire a prostitute."

An image of Amethyst flashed through the rich girl's mind and she immediately sat up, her eyes scanning the room for the silver haired girl.

"Where is she?" She asked when she couldn't find her nightly companion.

"I paid her for her services and she left."

"Oh.." Peridot looked downtrodden. She dragged herself out of her bed, scratching her head. So what Amethyst had promised about trying again at a later time was a lie.. she should have expected this.

"Of course, she only took three dollars of the payment. She went out and got a cup of instant noodles. She's in the dining hall now."

The change in Peridot's face was dramatic. From a sad, lonely face to an excited and happy one, she hugged her maid before making her way out of her room.

"Thanks, Lapis!"

The maid felt happy for her friend, but she was also scared.. Peridot was obviously in love, even if she didn't know. Even when they had crushes on each other, the blonde never stopped talking about this friend she had in the orphanage.. a rather rambunctious girl, always getting into trouble. But the girl's actions were for the other orphans, bringing them extra food and blankets. This girl was Amethyst.

Lapis chuckled to herself, beginning to make up the bed that Peridot had just left. She hoped that everything went well for her friend.

* * *

Amethyst sat in a chair at an incredibly long table, her pants back on her body. It felt so weird, being alone in a room so big.. It was bigger than her entire apartment. She tried to ignore this, gently slurping on the noodles she bought. She was lucky to find them, even in a store that was uptown in the more fancy bit of New York.

"Lapis said you refused the money she offered you.." Amethyst turned, a noodle hanging from her mouth, and she saw Peridot standing in the doorway of the dining hall. She slurped the noodle into her mouth, smiling afterward.

"Yeah. I don't get paid until my customer is satisfied. That's just how I roll."

"I see.." Peridot took a seat beside the prostitute, resting her elbow on the table. "I thought you actually left.."

"I can understand that. A lot of hookers are like that. They fuck and dash, but it just seems wrong to me." Amethyst put her now empty noodle cup on the table, chopsticks laid neatly across the top. "Yeah, it's a job, but why not make friends during it? Life's all about good memories to me."

"That's.. pretty deep." Peridot was kind of impressed at Amethyst's point of view on the world. The prostitute just shrugged.

"It's how I roll, babe."

"You seem to be saying that a lot."

"Well you keep giving me opportunities to say it."

"Touche."

The two had a casual conversation for a few minutes before Lapis came down, a purple sweater held in her arms.

"Miss Amethyst, would you like me to wash your sweater?"

"Oh my god, don't call me that." Amethyst said with a laugh, draping her arm over the back of the chair she was in. "And you can wash it if you want.. I might be here for a while. At least until I can give Peridot her big 'O'."

"Don't say it like that!" Peridot insisted, her face alight in a blush. Lapis ignored the outburst.

"So she chickened out last night?"

"Heh, yeah. I was about to take off her pants while we were making out when she stopped me."

"You're gonna have to give me all the details." Lapis sat in the chair on the other side of Amethyst, her legs crossed under her dress. Peridot didn't even try anymore as Amethyst began to explain, in detail, what the two did in the rich girl's room.


	5. Remembering the Orphanage (Part 1)

While Amethyst told Lapis about what she and Peridot did in the room, the blonde decided to leave and get herself some breakfast.

She stood made her way to the kitchen, which was behind a door connected to the dining hall. That way, the food was always as fresh as could possibly be. Of course, she was going to eat the dinner which Lapis left in the fridge last night. Knowing the maid, it was probably going to be a filet mignon steak.

As Peridot opened the midnight black door, she found that her assumptions were correct. She took the plate from the fridge, placing it in the microwave on the counter beside the fridge. Her foster mother wasn't all too thrilled when her adopted daughter asked for a microwave.. but the blonde felt more at home with such an appliance in the mansion.

Setting the time and starting the microwave, Peridot turned and leaned her back against the counter, eyes scanning the kitchen.

Like everything else in the house, it was huge. There was a long counter in the middle of the floor, the top completely covered with multiple burners. It was like an extra large stove. Though Lapis was the only maid and cook in the entire mansion, Yellow Diamond thoroughly enjoyed living extravagantly.. as if that weren't evident in itself.

Peridot's mind wandered to Amethyst and the previous night.. The silver haired girl was so gentle, even if she did get a little rough with her teeth. The blonde's fingers absentmindedly traced across her neck, remembering the feeling. Her lips, her tongue, her hands.. they felt so far away now.

She shivered, closing her eyes. Amethyst was so.. sensual. She was more than beautiful, more than kind.. She was a being of pure benevolence.

Even in her little job, Amethyst never shied away from being frugal. She gave to people in a lesser situation than she was in, and she never asked for anything in return. She was always like this, even in the orphanage.

Peridot remembered back then.. it was a happy time, despite the circumstances.

* * *

A young girl wearing a green sundress was lead up to the big double doors of a building. The woman holding her hands explained that this building was called an 'orphanage'. It was where children went when they didn't have parents. But Peridot did have parents..

Her mother and father were lovely people. Her mother always had a bottle in her hand, and from time to time, let Peridot have a sip from it. It was bitter, but always gave the little girl a bubbly feeling. She was happy.

She just didn't understand why her mother would break the bottle when her father confronted her on her 'drinking problem'.

Peridot remembered hiding behind a wall, watching as her mother waved the broken bottle at her father, cutting his arm. He pulled something from his back pocket, and there was a loud bang that forced Peridot to cover her little ears. Her mother had fallen asleep. Then her father pointed the object to himself. Another bang. He slept as well.

Peridot just didn't understand why she was taken away from her parents.. they had only fallen asleep, right? Why did the police have to cover their faces? Why were they taken to this.. 'morgue'?

She had asked the lady that picked her up if she'd ever see her parents again. She didn't answer.

The blonde was lead through the double doors and was told to sit on the bench in the lobby. She did as she was told while the lady did paperwork with another lady at the desk. What were they talking about?

Swinging her legs back and forth, Peridot waited.. and waited.. It seemed like hours before the lady that had brought her here began to leave. When Peridot got up to follow her, she was stopped by the other lady that was at the desk.

"Hold on there, sweety.." She spoke, a calm, but sad tone to her voice. "You're gonna be living here from now on.."

"But I have a home.." Peridot argued, though her expression was indifferent.

"Oh, honey.." The lady wrapped her arms around the little girl, holding her closely.

Peridot usually liked hugs, but this.. she didn't like this. She wanted to get away from this woman, she wanted to just go home.

"Please let go.." Peridot pleaded, gently pushing the lady's shoulders. "My dad said to never let strangers touch me.."

Slowly, the lady obliged, pulling away from the little girl. She smiled, but she also had tears in her eyes.. Why was she crying?

"You're daddy was a good, smart man.."

"You mean he _**is**_ a good, smart man.. don't you?"

The lady couldn't bear to hear these words from such an innocent little girl. She stood up, gently taking Peridot's hand in hers as she wiped her tears away.

"Come on.. I'll introduce you to everyone."

The lady lead Peridot through another set of doors.

Looking around, she saw other girls besides herself. There were three taller, older girls and three younger girls, now four, including herself. The taller girls were in the middle of the floor, playing what seemed to be a game of Ninja. One of the three smaller girls was also partaking in the fun. The other shorter girls were in the floor by the window, coloring on paper with red and blue color pencils separately.

"Everyone.." The lady spoke, catching everyone's attention. The three older girls and the small one among them stopped their game, and the other small girls looked up from their drawings.

"Wassup, Alex?" One of the tall girls asked, hands on her hips. Her hair was wild, unkempt, and she seemed to be rather plump for her size. Peridot guessed she was the 'leader' of this group.

"We have a newcomer.. Her name is Peridot."

"Hey, you can't give her a nickname without us." One of the smaller girls by the window seemed to get angry, but was told to calm down by her companion. Alex just chuckled, shaking her head.

"No, her actual name is Peridot. She doesn't need a nickname."

"So she's just like Amethyst.." Another one of the taller girls spoke up, though a lot more calmly than the others. Her ponytail was long, and her composure just screamed elegant. But somehow, Peridot got the feeling she could be fun when she wanted to be.

"Yes, and I'd like you all to treat her very kindly." The lady, or Alex, gently nudged Peridot forward, smiling kindly when the young girl looked back at her. "Go on and introduce yourself to everyone.." She then addressed the whole room again. "If you need me, I'll be at the front desk. Please don't hesitate to come and get me." And then she left.

Peridot looked at the group of girls all staring at her.. she suddenly felt self conscious, holding her arm. One of the taller girl was the first to walk forward. This girl was rather flamboyant, as if trying too hard to be likable. But even then, Peridot found her.. charming.

"Hello.. I'm Sardonyx." A British accent? That was unusual in America. "My real name is Sam, but we all have our lil' nicknames."

The pony tailed girl walked to stand beside Sardonyx.

"I'm Hope, but you can call me Opal."

"That's pretty ironic.." Peridot commented, causing the taller girls to laugh. The other taller girl came to stand on Sardonyx's other side, resting her arm on her shoulder.

"You're funny.. I like you. Name's Nicky, but call me Sugilite."

The other girls introduced themselves to Peridot in this same fashion. A tomboy looking girl was named Sarah, but everyone called her Ruby. The girl who was sitting beside Ruby had half of her face covered by her hair, and she quietly introduced herself as Sapphire. Her real name is Rebecca.

Amethyst was the last to introduce herself. Her hair is short, and a dark brown color. She was all too excited to see a new person.

"So your name is Peridot, huh?" Amethyst asked, hands in the pockets of her shorts.

"Yeah.. and you're Amethyst?"

"Yup. Seems like we're the only ones with actual names of gems." Peridot smiled, rubbing the back of her head.

"Heh.. yeah. It's um.. nice to meet you and all, but.. when can I go home?"

All of the girls except for Amethyst got this somber look on their faces.. Sugilite turned away, dragging Sardonyx and Opal to continue their game of Ninja. Ruby and Sapphire silently went back to their drawings. They always let Amethyst handle the bad news. Still smiling, she answered the blonde girl.

"This is your home now, dude.."

"But.. what about my parents?" Peridot felt scared, yet at the same time, she felt.. calm. Was it Amethyst's naturally high spirit that did it.

"They're gone, Peri.." Amethyst used this nickname to distract the blonde, to soften the blow. "Either they didn't want you, or they died.. like a pet goldfish. You used to have a goldfish, right?" Peridot nodded. She did have a goldfish.. Every child did, really.

"So.. my parents aren't in their bodies anymore.." Peridot was starting to put two and two together. She felt herself shaking as she spoke. "They.. they told me that when my fish floated.. he left his body and went somewhere else.. That's what my mom and dad did?"

"Yeah.. but it's okay."

Peridot felt herself getting mad.. How was it okay? Her parents were gone! She was about to go off on the other girl, but she was interrupted.

"It's okay because you still have them.. in your head, you know?"

Peridot stopped herself, giving Amethyst a confused look.

"What do you mean?"

Amethyst came to stand at Peridot's side, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. She pointed to Ruby and Sapphire.

"Ruby there wet her bed three weeks ago. Sapphire was the first one to help take the sheets to Alex. Ruby cried the whole time, but Sapphire helped get her to sleep again."

She then pointed to the three girls who were in the midst of their game, trying their hardest to get each other 'out'.

"They told me that when they were younger, Sardonyx got bullied by Sugilite for her accent. Opal stood up to her, and there was this huge fight. They're the best of friends, now."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"When they get adopted.." Amethyst said, her voice quieter, sadder. "They won't be able to see each other anymore.. but they'll still remember each other."

The brunette let go of Peridot, turning to face her again.

"Sugilite will remember that she doesn't regret bullying Sardonyx because if she didn't, then the three of them would never have been friends. Ruby will remember that Sapphire was always there to help her, and it'll be the other way around too."

Amethyst took Peridot's hands in hers, her smile bright once more.

"And you'll remember every time your parents played with you, how they helped you with your homework, how they were just.. there for you. That's all that matters, isn't it?"

Peridot couldn't believe what this girl in front of her was saying.. Her words were so.. mature, so sophisticated. Before the blonde girl knew it, she was smiling, wiping a tear from her eye.

"Y-yeah.. you're right."

Amethyst laughed, lightly punching Peridot's arm.

"Always am. You wanna play Ninja with us?"

Peridot nodded. As Amethyst lead her to the group, she felt happy.. For the first time since she was taken from her house, she wasn't sad or confused. She was going to take Amethyst's advice and keep her parents in her memories.. while making new ones.

* * *

The beeping of the microwave brought Peridot from her thoughts. Her food was ready..

She turned and took the plate out of the microwave. She grabbed a fork from a kitchen drawer and began making her way back to the dining hall.

Lapis and Amethyst were finishing their little.. conversation.

"I'm glad you let her control things, at the very least.." Lapis said, playing with her thumbs on the table. "I thought most prostitutes would try to do their job forcefully if they had to."

"Yeah, most of us would.. but I'm not like most hookers." Amethyst said this before noticing Peridot sit across from her. "Oh hey, Peri. Watcha eating?"

"Steak.." She answered quietly, digging her fork in the side of the meat to cut it. She would have gotten a knife, but.. she felt too lazy.

"Looks good.. Anyway, I was wondering if you wanted to get out of the mansion today, maybe take a walk around town. I gotta visit my friends downtown anyway."

"Yeah, of course." Peridot agreed quickly, almost too eager at the thought of spending time with Amethyst. "I can get Jasper to drive us.. Would you like to join us, Lapis?"

"No thank you.." Lapis refused the offer, standing from the table. "I need to clean around the house today.. I'm always finding dust somewhere.. I wish your Madam Diamond didn't need to feel so.. fancy."

"Tell me about it.." Peridot replied, taking a bit of her steak. Lapis laughed and made her way out of the room.

"Well you two have fun. And no sex in the car."

Peridot nearly choked on her food while Amethyst laughed wiping a tear from her eye.

When Peridot got her coughing fit under control, she couldn't help but smile. This was nice.. even if their time together was limited, even if Amethyst didn't remember her.. Peridot did. She was prepared for this. All she had to do was keep in mind that memories are what mattered. And the new memories that she was going to create with her silver haired friend, well.. she planned to cherish them for a very long time.


	6. Christmas Surprise

**Author's Note: I wanna apologize for the long wait. I had a bit of a writer's block while I was trying to figure out how to put Christmas in the story. I hope you guys can forgive me for being late.**

 **Either way, I hope you had a Merry Christmas, and a Happy Holidays! :3 Also a Happy New Years, cuz I don't know if I'll be able to get to that chapter on time. xD**

* * *

"I'll have Jasper ready the car."

Peridot had just taken the last bite of her steak. Wiping her mouth with a napkin, she stood from the table and began making her way to the kitchen to wash her dirty plate. Amethyst followed.

"Nah, I'm sure we can walk. It'd be faster that way, with traffic and all."

"There's not gonna be any traffic today.." Peridot ran her plate and fork under hot water, cleaning it of excess scraps before placing it in the dishwasher. Lapis would be sure to take care of it later.

"Peri, we're in New York. There's always traffic here."

The blonde began drying her hands with a dishtowel, turning to lean her back against the counter.

"Not on Christmas Eve."

Amethyst would have spit out a drink if she had one. But since she didn't, she was stuck with widening her eyes and having her mouth left agape.

"You're shitting me.." Amethyst was speechless. She had intended to have Peridot spend the night at her apartment. Since the blonde said that she felt most comfortable in the orphanage, she might be able to actually go along with losing her virginity in the prostitute's humble abode.

"No, I'm serious." Peridot replied, unable to keep the smirk from playing across her face. "Did you really forget that Christmas is tomorrow?"

"Uh, yeah!" Amethyst began waving her arms in the air, actually freaking out. "I forgot to get Steven a present! Oh man, there was this toy airplane he wanted so badly too, not to mention the guitar I was gonna get Greg, or that new book Pearl wanted, or-"

"Wait, hold up.." Peridot interrupted the prostitute's rambling, who was now pacing back and forth in front of the blonde. "You're telling me that you were gonna get all that stuff.. Did you plan on stealing it or something?"

"No! I was gonna buy them.." Amethyst stopped pacing, realizing what she had just said. Digging in her pockets, she pulled out a crumpled twenty dollar bill, the one that Rose told her to keep.

"This'll be enough for the plane, at least.." She whispered, smiling. She had been so intent on buying gifts for all of her friends. Vidalia was even gonna get a dildo, because of her complaints about her fingers just 'not being enough' after she left Marty. Maybe it was stupid, thinking about buying all these things. Amethyst was just a whore, after all.

It wasn't hard to see that Amethyst was hurt.. Peridot thought for a moment, then grabbed Amethyst's free hand, dragging her from the room. The prostitute shoved her money back into her pocket as Peridot started leading her upstairs.

"Where we going?" Amethyst asked, not sure why her client was being in such a hurry.

"Just.." Peridot started, pausing when she reached the top of the stairs. She turned, grabbing the corner of a painting on the wall. The blonde pulled it, and the whole thing swung open to reveal a combination safe. "..consider this your payment."

"Peri, no." Amethyst immediately knew what the blonde was doing. Despite her protests, her client began turning the dial on the safe. "You're not paying for my Christmas gifts.."

"I said to consider it your payment." When Peridot had finally opened the safe, Amethyst was met with a rather impressive sight. The entire safe was filled to the brim with stacks upon stacks of dollar bills, Ben Franklin on the front of each and every one of them.

The blonde pulled out one of these impressive stacks, counting out a thousand dollars before putting the rest of the money in the safe. Before Amethyst could protest further, the money was being shoved in her hands.

"Don't argue.." Peridot smiled kindly. "It just happens to be that sharing money is a kink of mine. Your job is to turn me on, right?"

"But.."

"Then do your fucking job and take the money. Unless you want to leave me an unhappy customer.."

Amethyst looked down at the wad of cash in her hands. She never imagined that her own profession would be used against her. She still felt a little bad, for accepting this money.. but it was for her friends. Maybe she'd be able to pay Peridot back somehow.

"Thanks, Dottie.." She whispered, almost inaudibly as she pocketed the money.

"What was that?" Peridot asked, not having quite heard what the prostitute said. She was in the midst of closing her safe and painting as well.

"I said thanks." Amethyst repeated. With renewed vigor, Amethyst grabbed Peridot's hand and began running down the stairs, the blonde almost stumbling.

But as the two reached the entrance hall, Peridot realized that neither of them were properly dressed to go outside.

"Wait.. what about your sweater?"

Amethyst stopped suddenly, and she turned to Peridot, a sheepish smile on her face.

"Yeah.. I forgot it was cold out there."

Peridot flicked Amethyst's forehead, chuckling.

"Come on.. Laundry room is around the back." The blonde began to lead Amethyst around the staircase leading upstairs. Behind the flight of stairs was a door, and when opened, it lead to a large area. There were three pairs of washing machines and dryers, each pair the exact same distance from one another, and ironing board in between. Every time Amethyst walked into a new room, she was given more of a reason to think that Yellow Diamond had some sort of superiority complex.

Lapis was at one of these ironing boards, running the hot metal over Amethyst's purple sweater. Without looking up, the maid spoke.

"I was just about to come and get you.. I was afraid that you may have left already. I didn't have time to wash your sweater, I'm afraid.." She held the fabric in front of herself after setting the iron to the side. Not a wrinkle was to be seen. "But I think this looks just fine.."

"You're a damn good maid.." Amethyst commented, taking her sweater from Lapis. She slipped the fabric over her head, flipping her hair so that it wasn't stuck in the back of the sweater.

"I kinda have to be, working for the most influential person in New York."

"Aw, you flatter me, but I'm not that great.." Peridot said, putting a hand over her heart.

"You know what I mean, you bitch." Lapis retorted, laughing as she threw Peridot her hoodie. She didn't even bother to iron this one.

The rich girl pulled the hoodie over her body.

"Nice and wrinkly, just the way I like it."

"That's what you get.. Now hurry and get out of here, Jasper and I are visiting her family, later."

Peridot nodded and turned to leave. Amethyst followed, waving a 'goodbye' to the maid.

* * *

The two finally made it out of the house and made their way to behind the mansion to the guest house that Peridot told Amethyst about. Finally setting eyes on it, the prostitute found that the house was really big.. It was easily two stories high, but it was much thinner than the mansion.

Peridot reached out her hand to knock on the door, but before her knuckles even came in contact with the wood, Jasper opened it. The driver was wearing nothing but pajama bottoms and a towel around her shoulders, her well toned torso completely bare. She seems to have just taken a shower, as her hair was wet.

"Lapis called me when you guys left the building.. I'll be ready in a few minutes. I'm not putting on the uniform though."

"Well put _**something**_ on!" Peridot practically yelled, averting her eyes from the half naked woman. Amethyst reacted very differently from the rich girl.

"Dare you to drive like that. Windows are tinted, right?"

Jasper smirked while Peridot gave the silver haired girl a look of disbelief.

"I would.. but it's too damn cold. I'll be out in a sec, I'm just gonna dry my hair and put a shirt on." And then she closed the door.

"What the fuck is wrong with you?"

"I can't help that your employees are smoking hot." Amethyst said with a shrug, earning a playful push from Peridot.

"Whatever.. Just remember, you're mine."

"For now." Amethyst reminded the blonde that their agreement was just temporary. But even as she said these words, the prostitute felt a slight tinge in the pit of her stomach. She got the same feeling when she called Peridot 'Dottie' earlier.. it just slipped out, so naturally.. but why?

"Yeah.. for now.." Peridot felt sad again.. but she reminded herself that the memories are what mattered. As long as Amethyst was the one to take her virginity.. she would be completely content.

The pair stayed silent for a time, and after a few minutes, Jasper came out of the guest housed, dressed in an orange sweater and khaki pants. Her hair was also tied up in a ponytail.

"Alright, let's go.. Gotta get back before one o'clock, it's eleven thirty.. I'm glad there's not any traffic today."

The trio started walking to the front of the mansion where the limo was parked.

"Yeah, you're gonna go with Lapis to see her family, right? Are you two a thing or something?" Amethyst asked, and Jasper let out a short laugh.

"Nah.. if anythin', we're more like fuck buddies. We're not anything serious.." She paused, her hand on the back door handle of the limo. "Well, we're not serious yet, at least. I'm thinking of asking her out properly at dinner tonight."

"About damned time.." Peridot joked, crawling into the back seat of the limo, followed by Amethyst. The prostitute congratulated the driver.

"That's pretty cool.. shame I'm not gonna be able to get in your pants, then. You're sexy as fuck."

Jasper smirked, shutting the door. Amethyst and Peridot watched as she entered the driver's side door through the window connecting the back and front of the limo.

"There is a possibility she'll say 'no', you know."

"Here's hoping." Amethyst joked, and Jasper laughed as she started the car. She found herself enjoying the company of the whore.. Peridot picked a good one.

"You surprise me, you know?" Peridot said, addressing Amethyst.

"How so?" Amethyst asked, leaning back in her seat. She put her hands behind her head, making herself comfortable.

"You're so.. adaptable.." Amethyst raised an eyebrow. Peridot tried explaining herself further. "I mean, with whoever you're talking to, your personality kinda.. changes to suit the other person."

"Still got no clue what you're talking about."

"Oh my god.." Peridot put her face in her hands, feeling frustrated. "I mean.. you've already made friends of my employees after just a day."

"True dat." Jasper confirmed from the front. "I thought you'd be a complete slut.. but from what Lapis told me, you've treated Miss Diamond fairly well."

"Well the customer's always right.. Besides, I like making people happy."

"That's what I'm talking about.." Peridot said, feeling like her point was finally being made. "You do so much for everyone you meet.. You've treated me so patiently in the bedroom, and you planned to get your friends Christmas gifts even when you barely had money for yourself.. You're the most selfless girl I've ever met."

"Heh, yeah, well.." Amethyst actually blushed, averting her eyes from the rich girl. "I don't want any sad memories.."

Peridot knew this already.. Even back then, Amethyst never wanted to see anyone hurt. She had even stolen from the orphanage kitchen just to see her friends smile.

"You said you needed to go shopping?" Jasper asked from the front, the limo slowing down. The driver was turning into the parking lot of an outdoor mall, which happened to be open for last minute shopping. There were a few other cars in the lot, but otherwise, it wasn't too crowded.

"Yeah. Thanks for the ride." Amethyst said, letting herself out of the limo. Peridot followed, closing the door behind herself. Some people stopped and stared at the limo, surprised to see that the two girls who stepped out of it didn't look all that fancy.

"Just hurry up.. You got thirty minutes before I leave your asses."

"We'll be back before then." Peridot promised, though she knew that Jasper wouldn't really leave.

And then the rich girl and the prostitute began their shopping spree.

* * *

Amethyst decided to get Greg's guitar from the music store last, as it would be the bulkiest thing to carry. She thought it would just be hilarious to get the dildo for Vidalia first, but Peridot was entirely against it. With a bit of arguing, Peridot was left to wait outside of the sex shop while Amethyst bought the toy.. She made sure it was purple, so Vidalia could 'think of Amethyst' while she had her fun.

They next went to the bookstore to get Pearl's gift. She wanted something called 'The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up.' Luckily, it seemed to be fully stocked. Amethyst just wondered why no one in New York wanted a book about cleaning.. sarcastically, of course.

"I'm gonna get a copy for Lapis.." Amethyst thought that the blonde was making a joke, but she was quite serious as she grabbed one of the books off of the shelf.

Of course, Amethyst needed to get Steven's little airplane too. Nothing electronic, just a simple thing. The prostitute had her eye on one such plane where one could wind up the rotor on the nose and it would spin by itself.

She was positive that Rose didn't want anything from her.. The landlady was just way too nice to accept anything from Amethyst, knowing her salary. Rose would probably say something along the lines of 'The best gift on Christmas is kindness' or some other shit.. Amethyst admired that about the woman.

Peridot and Amethyst made their way back to the car after picking up Greg's new guitar. Jasper was standing outside the limo, tapping her fingers on her shoulder with her arms crossed. It was obvious that she was impatient.

"About time you got back here."

"What happened to leaving after thirty minutes?" Peridot asked, opening the limo door for herself. She and Amethyst began putting all of the gifts in the car.

"My watch is broken.." Jasper retorted. Peridot laughed.

Jasper didn't wear a watch.

"Well alright.." Peridot climbed into the back of the limo, followed by Amethyst. This whole shopping spree left the rich girl feeling exhausted..

"Thanks again, Peri.." Amethyst said quietly as she sat beside her client. She closed her eyes, sighing as she relaxed in her seat. Shopping was always a bother, but more so when Christmas was just around the corner. At least she got all of her presents.

"Don't mention it.. you deserve to be helped out once in a while."

"Nah.." Amethyst chuckled. "I'm just a whore."

"You stop that." Peridot scolded, though she couldn't help but laugh along. "You may be a prostitute, but you're the kindest person on this planet."

"I don't think so." The plump girl spoke absentmindedly, her voice hushed. "I'm the worst friend anyone could ever have.."

Peridot wanted to ask what Amethyst meant, but she had a feeling she might already know the answer.

The two stayed quiet for a time.. Even though there was hardly any traffic, Amethyst still lived downtown.

After a while, maybe about fifteen minutes of silence, Peridot spoke.

"What does it feel like..?"

Amethyst opened an eye, looking over at the rich girl.

"What do you mean?"

"Sex." The blonde wanted to be as straightforward as possible to avoid any awkwardness. "Like.. we made out, and stuff, but.. what does the actual sex feel like?"

"Dunno." Amethyst answered truthfully, closing her eye again. She had nothing to hide. "I'm a virgin."

"Seriously." Peridot persisted, a bit annoyed with Amethyst's joke.

"Seriously." Amethyst mimicked Peridot, sticking out her tongue.

"You don't have to make fun of me, you know.."

Amethyst opened her eyes, noticing the hurt an angered expression on Peridot's face. She sat up, taking the rich girl's hand in hers.

"Peri, I'm not making fun of you.. I'm telling the truth. I may be a hooker, but I just give. I don't receive."

"You're kidding me.." Peridot could hardly believe this. Her eyes were wide, and gone was her anger.

"No, I'm serious." Amethyst repeated, chuckling.

"That's.. surprising."

"Yeah, I know. All of my clients got surprised when I told them."

It was definitely hard to believe. Amethyst, the most popular prostitute in New York City.. a virgin.

Peridot averted her eyes from the silver haired girl, a blush forming on her face. So Amethyst had never been touched down there either..?

"But I do masturbate.." Amethyst admitted shamelessly. "I guess it's kinda like sex. Feels really fucking good, honestly. I don't use any toys or anything, though."

"Are toys supposed to make it.. more enjoyable?"

"Supposed to.." Amethyst smirked. "What, wanna test out that dildo we got from the sex shop before Vidalia gets it?"

"Please, I'm more dignified than that." There was a slight pause, then Peridot continued, speaking hastily. "I doubt it would fit inside of me anyway.."

"You can borrow some of my lube, if you need it." Jasper suggested from the driver's seat, causing a deep blush on Peridot's face and a laugh from Amethyst.

"No!"

This went on for the rest of the ride. Amethyst and Peridot talked about random subjects, such as education, their religious beliefs, and so forth.

Amethyst didn't really have a professional school education. She didn't need one, in her opinion. She was perfectly fine doing favors for people and earning her wages through pleasure. It was the most free she's ever felt.

After Peridot was adopted, she was home-schooled and given many different tutors. She became fluent in four different languages, learned how to play the piano, and could quote the entirety of all of Shakespeare's plays.

"All that stuff is bullshit, though.." Peridot practically spat out. "It's worthless. I'm just glad I taught myself about electronics.. That'll get me further along in life than knowing how to say 'fuck you' in Mandarin Chinese."

"Did your tutor really teach you that?" Peridot smirked.

"No.. I looked that up myself."

The girls found out that they had similar beliefs concerning religion as well. They both thought that as long as they were good people while living, they would have a good afterlife, no matter what it was.

"I personally hope it's reincarnation.." Amethyst admitted. "How bad-ass would it be to come back as a fucking dragon!"

"Well for one, you'd probably get killed right off the bat." Peridot countered. "Not to mention you'd be an infant at first. You would have to hide from authorities, learn to fend for yourself, hunt, teach yourself how to fly, and-"

"You're a fucking buzzkill, you know that?" Amethyst said as she lightly punched Peridot's shoulder.

"It's a talent." The rich girl replied, rubbing her shoulder with a smile.

"Hey!" Jasper turned around in the driver's seat after stopping the limo. They had reached their destination. "The only bruises I should see on Miss Diamond are either on her neck or between her legs."

"You are _**not**_ checking for bruises down there!" Peridot yelled, her face alight. Amethyst only laughed, opening the limo door.

"Don't worry, Jasper.." She said, collecting as many of her gifts as she could before stepping out of the car. Peridot quickly followed suit.

There wasn't a crowd this time.. probably because everyone had already seen the limo and were disinterested. Either that, or everyone was getting ready for some sort of Christmas party.

"Thanks again for the ride.. Are you gonna pick her up later, or what?" Amethyst asked Jasper through the driver side window.

"She's staying the night with you." Amethyst looked over at Peridot, who wasn't paying attention to the conversation as she collected the rest of Amethyst's gifts.. or rather, the rich girl made it a point to not pay attention.

"Don't ask.." Jasper interrupted Amethyst, who had opened her mouth to speak. "Just take care of her, okay? Make this Christmas a happy one."

And with that, Jasper was gone, pulling out of the downtown area.

Now what did she mean by that?

"We better get going. Don't wanna keep your friends waiting." Peridot caught Amethyst's attention. The silver haired girl nodded and began walking down the road, Peridot at her heels.

"You think they'll like their gifts?" Amethyst asked the blonde. She looked down at the presents in her arms, which consisted of Steven's plane and Vidalia's dildo. Peridot refused to carry the sex toy.

Peridot was carrying the string guitar over her shoulder, and Pearl's book in her other hand.

"They're gonna love them, Amethyst.."

"I hope so.. I mean, I know they will, but there's always like.. an anxiety thing for presents, you know?"

"Yeah.. yeah, I know."

The street seemed so.. empty. Not a single person was in sight, except for a few hobos wrapped up in blankets that Rose had gotten for them. The walk to Amethyst's apartment complex was quiet.. almost eerie.

"Pearl should be finished serving lunch, so I can see why she'd be gone, but.. where the hell is everyone?"

"Maybe they're having a party at the apartments?" Peridot suggested.

"Yeah, yeah that's it." Still.. Amethyst was nervous.

The pair finally made it to Amethyst's apartment, and there was still no sign of anyone.. Maybe they were having a party inside, like Peridot said.

Amethyst placed Vidalia's gift bag on the ground so that she could fish in her pocket for her keys. But there apparently were people in her apartment, as the jingling of her keys caught Rose's attention. The landlady opened the door for Amethyst from inside.

"Oh, Amethyst.. please get inside, quickly."

The urgency in the tall woman's voice was evident.. Amethyst quickly took Vidalia's present back up, walking into her apartment. Peridot followed.

"What's up?" The prostitute asked as she looked around. Rose was closing the door behind her, then went to sit beside her husband on the couch.

Pearl and Vidalia were standing beside each other. They seemed to be engaged in a conversation before Amethyst arrived.

Peridot felt as if she were out of place here, among all of Amethyst's friends.

"Amethyst.." Pearl spoke quietly, almost.. scared. "Garnet came here this morning.. She was looking for you."

"What, did she want to wish me a happy Christmas Eve or something?" Amethyst joked, but no one laughed.

"No.." Rose started, her eyes glued to Amethyst. "She came here with an arrest warrant."


	7. Remembering the Orphanage (Part 2)

"Oh.."

Amethyst didn't really react. After a few seconds of just silence, the prostitute looked over all the gifts that Peridot helped her buy.

She first walked over to Vidalia, handing her the bag that contained her dildo.

"Don't open it in here.. if you catch my drift." Vidalia took the bag without a word.

Amethyst then walked to Rose, handing her the toy airplane.

"Make sure Steven knows it's from me, okay? He's being babysitted by Buck, right?"

"Jenny tonight, actually.." Rose replied, holding the airplane as if it were her own child. "And yes.. I'll let him know his Aunty Amethyst got this for him."

Amethyst smiled and walked back to Peridot, taking the guitar and the book from her. Peridot gave up the gifts without resistance.

"Here ya go, Greg.." She handed the guitar to the musician. He had tears in his eyes, though he took the present gratefully.

"I love it.. thank you."

"No problem.." Amethyst then turned to Pearl, holding the book out for her to take. "Here.. It's that cleaning book you wanted."

"Thank you, Amethyst.." Pearl took the book slowly, her eyes never leaving her friend.

"Welp.." Amethyst backed away, turning to look at all of her friends in turn. "Merry Christmas.."

Then she left the building.

Peridot stood there, her mouth agape. Was this really happening?

The rich girl looked around, watching as all of the people around her averted their eyes. Everyone was just.. going to stand here and not do anything about it?

Peridot bolted out of the room, immediately locking onto Amethyst. The prostitute was already half way down the road, her hands in her pockets.

"What the _**fuck**_ are you doing?!" Peridot yelled. Amethyst stopped walking, looking back at Peridot with a smile.

"I'm going to the police station. Whatsit look like?"

"Y-you mean you're just giving up?"

"Not much you can do against the police, Peri.." Amethyst shrugged. "Besides, with good behavior, I'll be out in a couple months, at least. Not like I killed somebody."

"But.." Peridot had walked forward, now standing just a few yards from the silver haired girl.

"Oh, right.." Amethyst dug in her pockets, pulling out a few, crumpled hundred dollar bills. She held the money out for Peridot. "Here's the rest of the money you lent me.. I'm not gonna need it."

Peridot knew that Amethyst was right.. she took the money slowly, her breath hitching in her throat. It was so hard to breathe.. The tears came running, her face covered in freezing water. It felt so cold on Peridot's face..

"Hey, don't cry, Peri.." Amethyst gently wiped the tears away with her thumbs. "I'm just a whore."

* * *

Three years passed since Peridot was enrolled into the orphanage.

Ruby, Sapphire, and Amethyst were the only other girls that Peridot originally met that haven't been adopted yet.

Sugilite, Sardonyx, and Opal just left.. one by one, they were picked up. Goodbyes were heartfelt. Tears were shed..

But Peridot was happy.. because she would remember her friends. They were still with her.

The rest of the girls were sitting in a circle. Ruby and Sapphire are nine years old now, and were practically inseparable.

"I swear you guys are gonna end up getting married.." Amethyst teased the girls, who both blushed. Of course, they also stole sideways glances at each other. They were children.. they were allowed to dream.

"Well what about you?" Peridot defended Ruby and Sapphire. "Do you have your future planned out, Amethyst?"

"Peri, we're eleven.. I don't have my next dinner planned out."

"Where's your sense of wonder?"

The group laughed together. This was the life, really..

When the laughter died down, Amethyst let out a deep sigh.

"I guess I just wanna travel.. You know, go around the world."

"Sounds like it'll be hard to do when you're adopted."

"Pfft.. I'm not getting adopted."

"What makes you think that?" Ruby asked, a sad tone to her voice. It was her dream to be taken in by a family.. with Sapphire, of course.

"I've been here longer than all of you." Amethyst said, leaning backwards to prop herself up with her hands. "You'd think I would have been taken up by now."

"Come on, someone will get you eventually.." Peridot tried to reassure her friend.

"Nah.. I'd rather not get hopeful."

"Whatever.." Peridot gave up quickly.. but she still wanted to make her friend feel better somehow. She sat closer to her, wrapping her arms around Amethyst's shoulders. "You still have us."

Amethyst chuckled, holding onto Peridot's arm.

"For now.."

* * *

Another year passed. Amethyst and Peridot are twelve while Ruby and Sapphire are ten. More friends came and went.. A girl named Judith, nicknamed Malachite, showed up and was adopted almost immediately. Peridot thought that the girl was lucky..

"You ever think about what having a family will feel like?" Peridot asked the Amethyst and Ruby. These three were in her room, and the blonde was laying on her bed, staring at the ceiling.

"Didn't you already have a family?" Ruby asked. Peridot smiled, almost sadly as she closed her eyes.

"Yeah.. yeah, I did."

"Girls.." Alex came through the room, a calm, but serious expression on her face. Amethyst was the first to pick up on the mood.

"What happened..?"

"Sapphire's had.. a little accident. She's in the hospital."

Ruby was on her feet in an instant. She grabbed the front of Alex's shirt, tears already stinging her eyes.

"Take me to her!"

* * *

Sapphire is bedridden in the hospital, a white bandage across her right eye like an eye patch. She was sitting up, a smile on her face as Ruby cried at her side. Peridot and Amethyst stood in the doorway, smiling.

"I'm fine, Ruby.."

"B-but.." Ruby sobbed, looking up at Sapphire. "Y-you tried getting my kite from the tree and, and.."

"It's not your fault.." Sapphire was calm and collected. Having a near death experience kinda opened her mind to the reality that anything could happen, at any given moment. Might as well make the best of life. "At least my eye patch is cool, right?" Ruby nodded vigorously.

"The coolest.."

"They're totally gonna get married." Amethyst whispered to Peridot.

"Oh yeah.. no doubt about that."

* * *

A few months passed. Ruby and Sapphire are adopted.

"It's been a wild ride.." Amethyst said to Ruby, who had her arms wrapped around the other girl.

"I'm gonna miss you.." Ruby whispered, then she looked to Peridot, who was hugging Sapphire.

Ruby dragged Amethyst to the other two girls, initiating a group hug. The group laughed, and said their goodbyes. Another girl, about sixteen years old was standing with her back to the wall. Her hair was incredibly thick, and she wore sunglasses, even indoors.

Another woman was talking to Alex, getting all of the paperwork done. She was nice, bubbly even. She was the woman adopting Ruby and Sapphire.

"They're lovely girls.. I'm sure you're not going to regret this decision." Alex assured the woman.

"I never make a decision I regret, dear." The woman replied. She looked back to her daughter, who was being bombarded with questions by Ruby. "My baby girl needs some company."

"So what's your name?" Ruby asked, obviously excited.

The stoic girl couldn't help but form a small smile of her own..

"Garnet."

* * *

A few days later.. It's just Amethyst and Peridot now. They had their own rooms, but they decided to share one. It was less lonely this way.

"It's so weird without everyone here, don't you think?" Peridot asked Amethyst. The blonde was sitting on her bed, her back to the wall. Amethyst was laying on a separate bed, having moved it in from another room. With permission from Alex, of course.

"You get used to it." Amethyst is staring at the ceiling, her expression.. well, expressionless. Peridot didn't talk further.. Amethyst has been gaining and losing friends for her entire life. The blonde wasn't in her place to talk about being alone.

* * *

"You're _**not**_ just a whore.." Peridot argued, face scrunched up in anger. "You're much more than that."

"Like what?" Amethyst asked in disbelief.

"I-I dunno! You just are!" Peridot pulled away from the silver haired girl, wiping her own tears.. at least, the ones Amethyst didn't get.

Amethyst pinched the bridge of her nose, sighing.

"Look, it's not like I wanna go to jail."

"I know, I know, but.." The girl in green paused, taking a shaky breath. "It just amazes me that you can be so calm about it."

"Yeah, I guess I understand. But it's not like we'll never see each other again.."

"Heh, yeah.." Peridot whispered under her breath. "Just like last time, right..?"

"You could even visit me, you know?" Amethyst suggested, not hearing the blonde's whispering. "Not like I'm gonna be put in maximum security."

Peridot perked up at the thought of being able to visit Amethyst.. if just a little.

"Yeah.. you still gotta pop my cherry, right?" Amethyst let out a low whistle.

"Damn, girl.. didn't think you would use that phrase."

"I told you once already.. you'll be surprised at what I can say when I'm comfortable around someone."

The pair laughed together, and Peridot actually seemed to calm down. Amethyst was right.. as usual. She wouldn't be imprisoned forever. Like Amethyst said, just a couple months, at least.

"I gotta go.." Amethyst finally said, and Peridot's laughter died quickly. She knew this was the truth.

"Yeah.. you'd better get going. Don't want your cold cell to be kept waiting."

"You bitch." Amethyst teased, punching Peridot's arm.

But.. Amethyst didn't move from her spot. She averted her eyes from Peridot, tucking her hair behind her ear. Then, she suddenly moved forward, gently pushing her lips to Peridot's in a light kiss.

Amethyst pulled away, and before Peridot could actually realize what had just happened, the silver haired girl was walking away. Peridot chose not to go after her.

Instead, she brought her fingers to her lips. That was probably her favorite kiss so far.


	8. Remembering the Orphanage (Finale)

Amethyst is walking down the lonely streets of New York. It really was Christmas Eve. Not a soul was outside. The prostitute could see happy families through certain windows of apartment buildings, spending time together. That could be her. With her friends.. with Peridot.

 _Why did I kiss her?_ She thought to herself, unconsciously bringing her fingers up to her lips. They still tingled..

They didn't have any special relationship. Peridot just hired Amethyst to take her virginity, that's all. So why did it feel like they've been friends for a very long time?

"Oh, shit.." Amethyst spoke out loud. She face-palmed herself, not believing the circumstances. Shouldn't this thing only happen in movies?

 _I fucking have amnesia._ She couldn't believe this.. How did this even happen?

Thinking back, Amethyst couldn't think of a single thing that could have caused her such an injury to the head. Maybe it was a repressed memory?

The prostitute shook her head. This wasn't the time to think about that stuff. She was literally just about to turn herself in to the police.

Amethyst continued walking, starting to feel cold after being outside for so long. She was only wearing a sweater in New York, and it was in the middle of winter.. Maybe she should have used some of the money Peridot lent her to buy an actual jacket.

Luckily, though, the police station came into view.

Amethyst stopped in her tracks. She had already made up her mind, but actually doing what she was going to do.. it was hard.

She took a deep breath to prepare herself, then she continued down the street to the steps leading up to the station.

* * *

Garnet sat at her desk, staring down at the paper signifying the arrest of one Amethyst Cardinal.

It was such an odd name.. not only that of a gemstone, but also the name of highly priced value. It was ironic, really.

It was as if the universe itself saw the good in this girl.

Garnet didn't want to arrest the girl.. she really didn't. But she had to do her job. And at the very least, Amethyst would be safe, only being held in the holding cell at the station itself.

She would get her three meals a day, and with good behavior, she would be out and about again in just a couple months.

"This is best for her.." Garnet kept telling herself.

"Really now?"

Garnet looked up from her papers to see Amethyst standing at her desk.

The police woman was surprised. Did the prostitute _**really**_ just waltz into the police station, knowing that she was the most popular person in New York?

"I kinda agree with you." Amethyst continued talking, making herself a seat on a clear space on Garnet's desk. "Would be a lot worse for me if I just ran, right?"

After a few moments of stunned silence, Garnet stood from her chair. An arrest in a police station.. who would have thought?

The police woman grabbed the handcuffs on her desk.

"Stand up and turn around.. hands behind your back."

Amethyst did as instructed. She stood, turning her back to Garnet as the taller woman walked around the desk. She gripped Amethyst's wrists, snapping the cuffs around both of them while other policemen watched in silence.

They were all sad to see this go down.. but it had to be done.

"You have the right to remain silent.." Garnet started, guiding Amethyst through a side door, to the holding cells.

"Anything you say can, and will be held against you in the court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you by the state."

Amethyst stayed quiet as she was lead into her little cell.

It looked like any stereotypical cell would. There was a small bed to the right, a sink to the left.. At least there was a functioning toilet in here.

"That thing's clean, right?" Amethyst asked.

"As a whistle.." Garnet replied solemnly, unlocking the handcuffs around Amethyst's wrists.

The prostitute walked further in her cell, allowing Garnet to close and lock the metal gate behind her. Rubbing her wrists, Amethyst looked back at Garnet.

"What was the point in cuffing me if you were just gonna take 'em off when I got in here?"

"It's procedure."

The police woman sighed, leaning against the wall facing the cell.

"You never cease to amaze me.."

"I know right?" Amethyst agreed, taking a seat on her bed. "Most popular whore in all of New York, but I turn myself in without a word. Crazy, huh?"

"Yeah.. Pretty crazy."

"So how long am I in for? The law says three months for whoring myself while not in a school zone, right?"

"Yeah.. but you're most likely gonna be in here for less than that. Two months, at the least."

"Better make myself cozy.." Amethyst laid down on her bed, attempting to get comfortable. It wasn't the best.. but she's slept in worse conditions.

"I'll have someone stationed in here to watch over you.. so that you don't get lonely."

"Been lonely my entire life, girl."

Garnet understood what she meant.

"Still, you gotta have someone watching you anyway. Maybe you'd like to meet one of my sisters."

"She hot?"

Garnet actually chuckled before standing from the wall, making her way out of the room. She ignored Amethyst's question.

Amethyst sat up from her bed, leaning against the wall.

At least she had a place to live in for a couple of months, with no charge. She wondered if prison food was as bad as everyone made it out to be on television.

* * *

Peridot made her way back into Amethyst's apartment, wiping her tears off with her sleeve.

All eyes were on her as she entered the room. Peridot didn't care. She just.. didn't.

She looked to Rose, who was smiling kindly at the girl in green.

"Is.. is it okay for me to stay here until Amethyst gets back?"

"What do you care?" Vidalia cut in. Her voice was quiet, sad, but.. Peridot could feel the anger in it as well.

Peridot didn't say anything. She just waited for Rose's response. Of course, the landlady nodded her head.

"Of course.. The rent is the same as Amethyst's. One hundred dollars a week."

"Rose, you can't be serious." Pearl was the one to intervene this time. She stepped forward, gesturing to Peridot.

"We can't let this.. stranger just take over Amethyst's apartment. She has a place of her own, I'm sure."

"I do.." Peridot confirmed Pearl's accusation. "But it's a far cry from what I call 'home'."

"She's willing to hold the fort down until Amethyst gets out of jail." Greg supported Peridot. "The least we can do is give her a chance."

"What's your connection to Amethyst anyway?" Vidalia asked, her arms crossed.

Peridot didn't answer.. not at first. She pondered on whether or not to tell these people her story. She had a feeling that she should. But..

"Promise not to tell Amethyst..?" She asked, dreading the answer.

Vidalia was about to go off on the rich girl for making such a request, but Rose interrupted her.

"That depends on what you say.."

"That's the best I'm gonna get, huh..?" Well.. it was better than nothing.

* * *

"And you're sure this is gonna work?"

"How many of my experiments 'didn't work', Amethyst?"

"Well, that's true."

Peridot and Amethyst are in the floor of the main room. They are both thirteen.

Amethyst had stolen Alex's phone for Peridot, and the blonde was now trying to use the iPhone's advanced CPU chip to bring more high definition to the box T.V that they've been stuck with for years.

Peridot's upper torso as hidden behind the box, her hands working on the wires, connecting wires here, removing bolts there. Soon enough, Peridot finished her little project. The phone was in pieces beside her while the chip was inside of the T.V. The blonde closed the hatch, coming out from behind the box.

"Alright, turn it on."

Amethyst was sitting in front of the television, waiting for Peridot's instruction. When she got it, she pushed the power button below the screen.

It came to life, the channel set to Cartoon Network. Teen Titans was being shown, and unlike the usual fuzziness that the girls usually received from the screen, they got vibrant colors and crystal clear imagery.

"It works!" Amethyst exclaimed happily, pulling Peridot into a hug. "You did it, Dottie!"

"O-Of course I did.." The blonde couldn't help the blush that rose to her cheeks. "All my projects work."

"That's good to know.."

The girls turned their heads to the entrance to the room when they heard a cold voice speak to them.

In the doorway stood a rather tall woman. She was thin, but broad shouldered, and easily gave off the feeling of authority. Her hair was also blonde, but much darker in shade, like a sunflower. Amethyst felt that the flower would be stepped on and crushed by this woman, though.

"I've been looking for someone that would appeal to me.." The woman said, staring daggers down at Peridot. "And I believe you have potential."

"You mean.. you're going to adopt me?" Peridot asked, scared.. but hopeful at the same time.

"I thought I made that obvious.." The woman turned and left the room. Her voice could be heard with Alex's. They talked about the adoption papers.

"Well would you look at that.." Amethyst said, and Peridot looked to her friend.

Peridot was surprised to see that her friend.. was crying.

"Amethyst?"

"You go on and be happy, okay?"

"You sure..?" Peridot reached out to take her friend's hand, but Amethyst back away out of Peridot's reach. She wiped her eyes, forcing a smile on her face.

"Yeah, I'm sure.. I-It's not like we'll never see each other again, right?"

Peridot smiled sadly. She gripped her arm, averting her eyes from her friend.

"Yeah.. who knows? You said you were gonna travel, right?"

"Uh-huh.."

Their conversation didn't last long.

The woman that was going to adopt Peridot walked back into the room.

"Peridot.. it's time to leave."

She was already given the girl's name.. That must means the papers were approved.

Peridot looked up to her new foster mother.

"Can.. can I have just a couple more minutes."

"I'm sorry.." The woman said. She smiled softly, relaxing her posture, if just for a moment. "But I'm very busy.."

Amethyst actually saw a shred of humanity in this woman's gaze. She gave Peridot a nudge, and a reassuring smile.

"Go on.."

Peridot couldn't stand it.. she wrapped her arms around Amethyst, holding her as tightly as she could so she wouldn't be pushed away.

"Don't you ever forget me.."

Then she let go.

Amethyst watched as Peridot followed the woman from the building. She watched from the window as Peridot got into an expensive looking sports car. She watched as it drove away.

And then Peridot was gone.

Amethyst's best friend was gone.

"Don't worry, sweetie.." Amethyst looked behind her to see that Alex was now in the room.

The caretaker pulled Amethyst into her arms, holding her comfortingly.

"I'm sure you'll see her again.."

Amethyst looked up at Alex.. the smaller girl had a confused look on her face.

"Who are you talking about?"

* * *

"And I don't think she remembers me.."

All eyes were on Peridot. Vidalia and Pearl were listening intently. Greg wiped tears from his eyes. And Rose.. well, she was just trying to be reassuring.

"What makes you think that?"

"When I knocked on your door and introduced myself." Peridot sighed, taking a seat on the couch beside Rose and her husband.

"She made a comment about my name.. That's how I knew. She forgot me.." Peridot's breath was shaky. She brought a hand to her head, gripping at her hair.

"She said she'd never forget me.."


	9. New Years Eve (Part 1)

**Author's Note: For some reason, I can't read the latest reviews for my story. If the people that reviewed lately could leave me a private message or something saying what they said, I'd really appreciate it.**

* * *

A day passed since Amethyst was incarcerated.

Christmas day.

No family.

A cold bed.

This was just the life.

She was positive that Rose and the others were worried about her, but they shouldn't be.

They should just focus on having fun with their other friends and family.

Steven was probably playing with his new airplane by now.

"Amethyst.. you have a visitor."

Garnet said this outside the door to the holding cells before letting herself in.

"What, is it Rose?" Amethyst asked as she sat up from her bed.

The prostitute's hair was a mess. She's never gone so long without brushing it before. And her mouth just felt.. dirty. She could deal without a shower as long as she has the sink, but still..

"Nah.. it's a new friend of yours. Your last client, she called herself."

"Oh.." It was Peridot.

Amethyst sighed, throwing her blankets off herself and standing from the bed. She was just in her tank top and her boxer shorts.

"You can let her in."

"Alright." Garnet turned her head to speak outside the door. "You're clear to go."

Garnet left the room, closing the door. Just a few seconds later, Peridot entered, carrying a white plastic bag. She was also wearing a purple sweater that was two sizes too large for her.

"That's one of my sweaters." Amethyst stated.

Peridot stayed quiet for a moment. It was so odd.. seeing her friend behind bars. She also noticed that her friend was in her underwear.

"W-well.." The rich girl finally spoke, rubbing the back of her head with a blush. "I didn't wanna bother Jasper and Lapis just to get them to bring me some clothes, so.. I borrowed yours. Hope you don't mind."

"You look great."

Peridot sighed. The compliment got to her more than it should have. She could already feel her eyes burning with tears.

"Do you.. know who I am?"

This is where Amethyst was left speechless for once. The question was so sudden.

But it confirmed what Amethyst had been feeling.

She took her seat at her bed again, crossing her arms.

"I feel like I should.. but I don't. You're just a girl that wanted to lose her virginity to a hooker."

"At least you're honest.." Peridot walked to the bars and slipped the white bag between them. She set the bag on the floor before backing away again.

"Some fresh clothes and some bathroom stuff is in there.. Toothbrush, toothpaste, deodorant, hair brush. I would have brought shampoo, but I didn't know if you had a shower in here. Doesn't look like it."

Peridot blushed again, averting her eyes from Amethyst.

"If you.. wanna change into new clothes, I can take the ones you're wearing and wash them. I can visit every day, switch them out for you."

Amethyst chuckled, uncrossing her arms as she leaned her back against the wall her bed was against.

"Is that an excuse to get me naked, Peri? Bad girl. I'm a convict, you know."

"Just take the fucking clothes!" Peridot shouted, turning her back on the silver haired girl. She was absolutely fuming.. but Amethyst was right. The rich girl would love to see her friend nude.

"Alright.. just no peeking."

Wait, what?

"You're not really stripping, are you?" Peridot didn't dare turn around.

"Well I'm not gonna sleep in dirty underwear."

Peridot could hear the ruffling of clothes behind her. Amethyst really was getting changed..

"And could you bring some pads next time? My period starts in a few days."

"Y-yeah.. yeah, sure."

The ruffling of clothes stopped.

"Alright, I'm decent. You can turn around now, Miss Priss."

Peridot took Amethyst's word for it and turned. True to her word, the prostitute was fully clothed.

Though she was brought fresh clothing, it was as if they never changed. The only difference was that the boxer shorts were a lighter shade of grey. The purple sweater and pants that Peridot had brought were sitting on the bed.

Amethyst had put the rest of her dirty clothes in the bag after taking the bathroom supplied from it and laying them on the sink.

She handed the bag to Peridot through the bars of her cell.

"Here ya go.."

Peridot took the bag. Their fingers grazed against each other for just a second.

Amethyst quickly grabbed on to Peridot's hand, startling the rich girl.

With soft, wondering eyes, Amethyst whispered.

"You'll tell me who you are when I get out of here.. right?"

"I.." Peridot paused. What would the best choice be?

On one hand, Amethyst wouldn't remember, no matter how hard she tried. On the other hand, she could remember everything. She would remember that Peridot was her best friend, but.. would she accept her feelings?

"I dunno.." That was what seemed right, at the moment. She pulled her hand away from Amethyst's grasp.

She turned and made her way to the door to the rest of the police station. Before she left, she turned back. Her voice was soft, barely a whisper.

"I'll think about it.. okay?"

And then she was gone.

"Yeah.." Amethyst went to sit on her bed again. Her eyes wandered to the sink, to the stuff that Peridot brought for her.

She didn't feel like brushing her hair anymore.

* * *

December 31st, New Year's Eve. 2:24 PM.

Peridot has gotten a little more acquainted with Amethyst's friends in these days.

She found out that Greg used to be homeless. He played a guitar he found in the dumps on the streets to get some living money. He always went to a soup kitchen, but he paid for his meals. He never just took.

Rose took a liking to him right off the bat, and they fell in love almost immediately. A couple years later, Steven was born. They all lived comfortably, and Greg became popular for his street performances. He was offered a contract to make it big, but he refused. He's comfortable where he is, with his family.

Peridot learned from Vidalia that Amethyst and her were really good friends. Vidalia was Amethyst's first female client, and they became best friends through that. Their personalities were incredibly similar, all fun, no work. But of course, Vidalia admired her friend for what she did. For what she's done for this city.

Pearl grew up in a well off home. She was comfortable, going to ballet classes every other day and even performing on stage. That was, until her parents were killed by a couple of muggers when they were walking to watch one of their daughter's performances. She never danced again.

Instead, she got a job as a convenience store clerk, working at the soup kitchen on her free time. She kept a pistol with her at all times. She would never see any of her friends get hurt again.

* * *

"Peridot.. are you awake?" Rose knocked on the rich girl's bedroom door.. rather, Amethyst's bedroom door that Peridot was occupying.

Peridot let out a groan, indicating that she was indeed awake, but she didn't like it.

Without Lapis, she had gotten used to waking up later in the day.

Peridot had informed her maid and Jasper that she was going to be staying at Amethyst's house for a couple months. They didn't question why. They just understood.

The employees promised Peridot that they would inform her mother when she returned from her trip to Italy. Peridot didn't care, though.

The girl in green sat up in her bed, her eyes red as she searched for her glasses on the nightstand. Finding them, she placed them on her face and took a look around the room.

It was so.. barren. The walls were white, there was just a box television in the corner of the room, and the bed was rather small compared to Peridot's.

She smiled. It felt like home. Always did when she woke up here.

She stepped out of the bed, deciding to go ahead and get dressed. The day wasn't going to last forever, and she needed to be with Amethyst for the New Years.. Would the police station allow so many visitors? She's sure that they would. Amethyst deserved at least that.

Peridot picked up her sweatpants from the floor, stepping into them to pull them over her pink panties. She's sure that if Amethyst saw those, she'd make a fuss.

She was already in a tee shirt, but she wanted to wear something warmer. Peridot picked out one of Amethyst's sweaters again.. they were so comfortable.

She put on her shoes and walked out of the room.

In the living room of the apartment were all of Amethyst's friends. They were decorating the room. It looks like they're going to have a little party before they go to visit Amethyst.

Pearl and Vidalia were hanging little signs around the place, all reading 'Happy New Years!'

Greg was sitting in a corner, blowing up balloons by himself, but Rose quickly went over to help him after making sure that Peridot was awake.

Steven was here as well. He was running around the room, playing with his new airplane.

It warmed Peridot's heart to see this.. Amethyst would be so happy to hear that Steven loved his gift.

The boy stopped running around when he noticed Peridot come out of Amethyst's room. This was the second time he's seen the rich girl.

He smiled, running towards her excitedly.

"Hi. You're Peridot, right?"

Peridot wasn't used to dealing with children.. She's never had the need to.

"Y-yeah.. that's me." God, that sounded so stupid.

"I heard that Ame went to jail because of you."

Peridot froze, staring down at the young boy. She had never even considered the idea that she was the cause of Amethyst's arrest.

Did the police find out that the rich girl had hired the prostitute? Was this why Amethyst was taken away? She brought a hand to her mouth, tears brimming her eyes.

"Steven.." Rose spoke sternly. The boy didn't mind his mother.

"It's okay though." Steven smiled widely at the girl he barely even knew. "I can tell you're a good person. And.. I feel like Ame is happy because of you."

"How can you think that..?" Peridot let out in a dry sob. She couldn't cry.. not here, not now. How could Steven possibly know how Amethyst is feeling? The boy shrugged his shoulders.

"It's just a feeling.." Then he went back to playing with his plane, as if nothing had ever happened.

It was hard for Peridot to breathe. She had just woken up, and she's already riding on a roller coaster of emotions.

Sadness for being the cause of Amethyst's arrest.

Happiness for Steven being so forgiving.

Pride in herself for gaining the approval of this child.

"I'm.. gonna go out for a bit."

Before anyone could stop her, Peridot left the building.

Rose sighed, walking to her son. She was going to give him the talk of a lifetime.


	10. New Years Eve (Part 2)

**Author's Note: Really, I can't get to my reviews for chapters 8 and 9. Most likely for the next chapters as well. I don't know what's wrong. If anyone has any advice, please message me.**

 **Until this problem is fixed, please send me a private message containing your reviews. I would greatly appreciate it.**

* * *

Amethyst was laying in her bed. Normally, she'd be barely dressed, in her underwear and tank top, but she was told by Garnet that the police woman's sister was coming in today to watch over Amethyst.

So the prostitute was dressed in her purple sweater and blue jeans, black socks on her feet. She wondered who this girl would be.. Well, if she was related to Garnet, she must be a looker.

In her thoughts, she failed to notice that Garnet had walked into the holding cells.

"Amethyst.. my sister's here."

Amethyst sat up from her bed to look through her bars at Garnet. The police woman made a gesture toward the door, and a girl walked in.

Her hair was dyed a light blue, which would be weird, under normal circumstances, but it fit her lightly tanned skin.

She wore a blue blouse and a skirt, though she wore rather tight blue jeans under it. The only thing she had to wear for warmth was a red beanie on top of her head.

But the most interesting feature to Amethyst about the girl was that her right eyelid was closed, a scar across the skin.

"This is Rebecca." Garnet said, introducing the girl. She waved to Amethyst, a small smile on her face.

"Nice to meet you."

"I wish I could say the same, girl." Amethyst joked, gesturing at the bars between them.

Rebecca laughed, and Garnet chuckled.

"Well, I'll let you two get acquainted. And Rebecca.." Garnet spoke with a smirk. "She _**is**_ a prostitute. Don't let her seduce you."

"You know Sarah's the only one for me.." Rebecca retorted.

The sisters shared a laugh as Garnet left, and Amethyst was left to wrack her brain during. Where has she heard those names before?

"So.." Rebecca started, taking a seat at a desk facing the holding cell. "I know why you're in here, but.. why are you in here?"

"Don't you think that question's a bit personal to ask of a stranger?"

Rebecca was asking Amethyst why she was a prostitute. It was subtle, but easy for Amethyst to catch onto.

"My girlfriend always says being blunt is the best choice."

"Well she's not wrong."

"So what's your answer?"

Rebecca seemed intent on knowing why Amethyst took this path rather than get an actual job.

Amethyst hesitated to speak.. She thought for a moment, her eyes wandering up and down Rebecca's torso.

She had a pretty face, certainly. Her lips were full, definitely kissable. Her breasts weren't too much to look at, but Amethyst preferred the smaller side anyway.

Still, what drew the prostitute most about Rebecca was her eye.

"If I tell you why I'm a whore, will you tell me why your eye's jacked up?"

Rebecca smiled, nodding.

"That's fair."

"Well.. it's because I'm free."

Rebecca didn't expect such an answer.. Usually it would be something like 'I just like sex' or 'it's easy money.'

Amethyst began to tell Rebecca all about herself. How she travelled by herself for the past few years, doing a few chores for people in exchange for a roof over her head for the night.

She mentioned that when she got into New York, she was picked up by a pimp named Marty, but she left him after certain circumstances.

"It just.. feels right to me." Amethyst finished. "I don't do it for the money."

"You seem like a good person.." Rebecca commented, having listened to every single word the prostitute uttered.

Amethyst chuckled, leaning against the wall.

"Yeah.. I get that a lot. So what's with the eye?"

"It's not as epic a tale as yours, I'm sure."

"I'm a whore. You lost an eye. I'm pretty sure your story is better."

Rebecca chuckled, leaning back in her seat, relaxing her posture.

"Well, my girlfriend's kite got stuck in a tree when we were ten.."

Amethyst's expression turned from curiosity to understanding.. in that instant, she knew.

No wonder this girl was so familiar.

"You're fucking me.."

"No, seriously." Rebecca assumed that Amethyst didn't believe this story. It was a pretty lame way to lose an eye. "I slipped and my head banged on a small branch poking out of the tree. My eye just happened to catch a twig."

"Not that, you little shit, I know how you lost your eye!" Amethyst was on her feet, grasping at the bars of her cell with a wide smile on her face. Rebecca started to get a little scared, sitting as far back in her chair as she could, though her expression was still calm.

What Amethyst said next, however, threw Rebecca completely off guard.

"I thought I was never gonna see you again, Sapphire.."

Rebecca, or Sapphire now, didn't speak. She only stared at Amethyst in a stunned silence, her good eye opened wide.

"How do you..?"

"Didn't Garnet tell you my name?"

Sapphire shook her head. Amethyst laughed, banging her head against the cell bar in a mix of frustration and pure joy. She sighed, staring at Sapphire with tears brimming her eyes.

"Figures.. No need to tell you the name of a hooker, right?"

"Who are you?" Sapphire asked, a little irritated for the first time today. She wanted to know how this woman knew her nickname.

"Aw man, it's been so long, where do I even start?!" Amethyst let go of her bars, pacing back and forth in her cell as she spoke.

"I-I mean, what do I even say after so many years? I thought I was never gonna see you again, I didn't even prepare myself for this. Oh!" Amethyst ran up to the bars again, causing Sapphire to flinch.

"How's Ruby? You said your girlfriend is named Sarah. That was her real name, right? I knew you guys were gonna get together, I just knew it!"

Sapphire could feel her skin crawl. How did this woman know so much about her.. about her girlfriend? Unless..

"You were at the orphanage.."

"Damn right, I was!" Amethyst laughed, glad that she was finally getting somewhere with the other girl.

"Holy shit.." Sapphire whispered, bringing a hand to her mouth. She could feel the world around her crumble, only to be built back up again.

"Amethyst?"

* * *

Peridot walked down the street. She didn't really feel like going to the party at the apartment.. She'd rather wait until tonight, when everyone would be able to spend time with Amethyst. It would be between bars, but hey.. it was something.

Maybe she should go see Amethyst anyway.. hang out with her until then.

Peridot smiled at the thought. That would be nice.

The walk to the police station was long and arduous. People were attempting to prepare for the new year, and even some fights were breaking out here and there.

It was nothing too serious, really. Just some drunkards having fun the only way they know how to. Peridot envied them, really.

It was so easy for them to just.. enjoy life. To not have a care in the world. Sure, they're drunk, but still.

It's not like Peridot's life wasn't easy. It was actually incredibly simple to her. Since she was adopted, everything's been handed to her on a silver platter, in exchange for her obedience.

It wasn't hard. The different languages were the hardest parts of Peridot's lessons. She loved technology, so installing the security system that her foster mother requested was like a walk in the park.

That's what Peridot hated, though.. It was all too easy. She never got a challenge, never actually got to fend for herself. She was never praised anymore.

In the orphanage, when she would fix a broken radio, she would get pats on her back and congratulations.

When she learned to play the entirety of Beethoven's Fifth on a grand piano, all she got was "It's to be expected." That's what you get for being the adoptive daughter of one of the most influential people in the world.

Peridot wanted to feel useful again.. She didn't want the easy life.

She wanted Amethyst's life.

Amethyst was so compassionate, so kind, working for the world around her at her own expense.

In every meaning of the word, Peridot considered Amethyst a Goddess, walking among the Earth.

It was cheesy, but she dared anyone to come up with a better analogy.

Peridot shook her head from her thoughts. Looking around, she found that she had actually walked passed the police station. She had never been so off track before..

She turned around and made her way in the correct direction.

* * *

Sapphire had just told Amethyst the story about how she came to live in New York.

It turns out that Ruby and Sapphire started having a secret relationship when they were fourteen. It didn't take long for their secret to be found out.

The woman that adopted Ruby and Sapphire was incredibly religious. Of course, she was very kind to the girls for the years that they stayed with her.. that was, until she walked into the laundry room to see their lips pressed against each other.

It wasn't anything too lewd. They were just fourteen at the time. But to the woman, it was as if Satan himself had stepped into her home.

She immediately separated them.

Ruby was forced to sleep in Garnet's room, and the older girl was given the task of keeping the tomboy from leaving. She hated the job, but.. she couldn't disobey her mother.

It was pure agony to the couple. They weren't even allowed to eat in the same room, and were forced to go to school on separate days. Their grades dwindled, their stress emerged, and when Ruby got into an argument with Garnet's mother, the woman slapped the girl across the face.

Garnet stayed quiet during this scene, but something inside of her snapped. She quietly made her way to her room and began to pack. Just the essentials. Clothing, bathroom supplies, money.

When she finished, she walked back to the living room and told Ruby and Sapphire that they were leaving.

* * *

"And we just.. left the house."

Amethyst was listening intently from her bed, her legs crossed under her.

"Your mom just let you leave? Without a fight, or anything?"

"Oh, there was a fight.. if you could call it that." Sapphire chuckled at the memory. "She grabbed Garnet's arm, and well.. she woke up a few hours later."

Amethyst let out a low whistle, a wide smile across her face afterwards.

"Damn.. Garnet's hardcore."

"Yeah, she is." Sapphire paused, taking a sip from the coffee that she had gotten from the police station earlier.

"When mom woke up, Garnet had a little talk with her. Said that hitting Ruby was child abuse, no matter the reason, and how that voided the adoption papers. So Garnet took us into legal custody and we left."

"What happened to your mom after all that?"

"Oh we still keep in touch.." Sapphire smiled, almost sadly. "She apologized for everything, admitted that her religious beliefs got the best of her. She asked if we were coming back, but we obviously refused. We're happy where we are."

"Well, I'm glad you guys haven't completely pushed her out of your lives."

"Oh I wanted to." The icy haired girl's sad smile turned into a cold scowl. It was as if the room itself got colder. Amethyst actually felt a chill down her spine as Sapphire spoke.

"I wanted to completely shun her. There was a phase I went through where I would have certain dreams.. my hands would be found around her throat, I would be shoving a knife in her stomach. Of course, they were just dreams. But no one hurts my Ruby."

"Heh.. yeah." Amethyst couldn't help but be a little frightened. Well, jokingly frightened. She knows that she'd never do anything to upset her friend.

"I went to a therapist and got over it though.." Sapphire smiled again, taking another sip of her coffee.

"Anyway, what about you? You told me what you did when you left the orphanage, but what about after Ruby and I left? How'd Alex hold up?"

"Oh, she was really nice to me for those years." Amethyst was relieved to have a change of subject. She laid down on her bed, making herself comfortable.

"After you guys left, it was just us, so we were able to get out more. Funding was easier, we were able to go out to eat more, watch a few movies.. It was nice. I don't know how she's doing now, though."

"Well I'm glad you three had fun."

Amethyst sat up again, chuckling.

"Did that accident mess up your math, girl? It was just me and Alex."

Sapphire gave the prostitute a confused look. Before she could leave, Garnet opened the door.

"Amethyst, your friend is here to visit you."

Amethyst smiled even more widely at this information. She would be able to introduce Peridot to an old orphanage friend.

"Cool, let her in."

Garnet closed the door once more, going to retrieve Peridot.

"A friend of yours?" Sapphire asked, temporarily distracted from her thoughts.

"Oh, yeah, you'll love her." Amethyst practically gushed over the rich girl. "She's a super nerd, great to tease, but she can be really fun. She's actually my last customer."

Before Sapphire could ask any more questions, the door to the holding cells was opened once more.

In Peridot came, wearing one of Amethyst's purple sweaters and her green sweatpants. The rich girl didn't notice Sapphire, at first. She just smiled at Amethyst, who waved.

"Hey Peri, what's up?"

"Oh, just thought I'd visit my favorite inmate. Drop the soap yet?"

"Been lucky so far." The two girls laughed before Peridot noticed Sapphire.

The icy haired girl had her mouth agape, staring at the blonde.

"Oh, sorry.. am I interrupting an interrogation or something?" Peridot asked, looking between Amethyst and Sapphire.

"Oh, Peri, this is a girl from my orphanage.."

Peridot felt her blood run cold. She did a double take over Sapphire's face, and she put two and two together almost instantly. The scar across the right eye is what gave it away.. that and the fact that the only girl to ever be in the orphanage with an eye injury was-

"Sapphire?"

* * *

 **Again, please leave your reviews in a private message to me. I cannot see the reviews in the conventional sense.**


	11. New Years Eve (Part 3)

**Author's Note: Please leave your reviews in a private message to me. I can NOT see reviews after chapter 7.**

* * *

"What, you two know each other or something?"

Peridot didn't say a word. Why was Sapphire in New York?!

She couldn't handle this.. what if Sapphire told Amethyst everything? Peridot wanted to tell Amethyst on her own terms.

And she couldn't just tell Sapphire to keep quiet. That would be far too suspicious.

So Peridot did the only logical thing she could think of.. she ran.

The rich girl turned on her heel and bolted out of the door, running from the police station. She ran, and she ran, and she ran. She had to get as far away as possible.

Given the circumstances, she probably shouldn't have panicked.

Peridot could have just signaled for Sapphire to not talk. Maybe shook her head at the other girl, or something.

That didn't matter now.. Peridot just ran, in the direction of her home.

She didn't know how far it was on foot, but she didn't care.

Peridot ran until she couldn't anymore.

She slowed down, clutching at a stitch in her side, wheezing. If she didn't have asthma before, she sure sounds like she has it now.

She reached into the pocket of her sweatpants, pulling out her phone as she caught her breath against the wall of a building.

"Jasper.." She spoke breathlessly, hitting the speed dial number she had set for her driver. Peridot just.. wanted to go home.

* * *

"What's up with her?" Amethyst asked Sapphire as soon as Peridot ran from the room.

The icy haired girl didn't respond at first. She was too busy replaying what had just happened in her mind.

As soon as Peridot saw Sapphire, the rich girl grew scared, terrified even. What possible reason could she have for acting like that?

Sapphire was nice to her in the orphanage, treated Peridot like a big sister, really.. so why?

Then she looked to Amethyst, who looked just as confused. The pieces of the puzzle fell into place.

Amethyst had convinced herself that it was just her and Alex at the orphanage after Ruby and Sapphire were adopted.

Peridot watched Amethyst since she stepped foot in New York on her travels.

Peridot gathered her courage for the next few months as Amethyst gained her reputation.

Then finally, the rich girl decided enough was enough, and found where Amethyst lived.. but the silver haired girl didn't remember Peridot at all.

"You don't remember her.. do you?" Sapphire asked the prostitute, though she already knew the answer.

Amethyst ignored the question, instead running from her bed to grip at the bars of her cell, fire in her eyes. Sapphire's question made Amethyst realize that Peridot was in the orphanage.. where else would they both know the rich girl?

"She was with us at the orphanage, wasn't she?"

Sapphire stood from her desk, making her way to the door without a word. Amethyst screamed after her, tears stinging her eyes.

"Wait! Tell me who she is, please! I-I don't.. I want my memory back!"

Sapphire knew how important Amethyst's memories were to her. She was surprised that the silver haired girl would have ever forgotten Peridot in the first place. They were so close..

The icy haired girl turned back to Amethyst, a small smile on her face.

"I can't tell you.. it would be better for you to remember for yourself."

"But I-"

"I'm going to bring my old therapist here.. She'll help you. I promise." With those words, Sapphire left the room, pulling her phone from the pocket of her jeans under her skirt. First of all, she was going to call Ruby and tell her the news.

* * *

Peridot was having a blanket wrapped around her by Lapis as she sat at her dining table.

She had old her employees everything.. about how another old friend arrived from the orphanage, about how Amethyst didn't remember her.. everything.

"Why don't you just tell her?"

Jasper asked this question in a rather harsh tone, not quite understanding how this situation could be so difficult. She was sitting across from the rich girl, elbow on the table.

"It's not that easy.."

Peridot spoke softly, tiredly. She had a hot cup of coffee in front of her, but she only took a couple of sips from it before never touching it again.

"It's easier than what you're doing now, Peri.."

Lapis sat beside Jasper, attempting to console her friend.

"It's unhealthy to just keep it all in."

"I don't care." Peridot's mind was set in stone. "I'm scared.."

"Why are you?" Jasper asked. "From what you told us, you were the best of friends."

"She forgot me for a reason." Peridot laid her head on the table, on top of her crossed arms. She felt so.. defeated. Like she could just sleep where she was, and not have a care in the world when she woke up.

Maybe that would be for the best.. maybe she should just forget Amethyst, like Peridot was forgotten.

Peridot closed her eyes, Lapis' and Jasper's words drifting away as Peridot succumbed to her exhaustion. That was.. until her phone started blaring.

Peridot groaned, reaching into her pocket. She considered just shutting off her phone, but looking at the caller I.D, she's glad that she didn't.

She sat up straight in her chair, clearing her throat before answering her phone.

"Hello, mother."

* * *

A couple hours have passed since Sapphire left the police station.

Ruby was sitting at the desk that Sapphire previously occupied. Other than a greeting, Amethyst didn't say much to the tomboy.

Ruby was wearing a red hoodie and black sweatpants. Her hands were covered by red and black fingerless gloves.

Amethyst was sitting in her bed, her knees drawn up to her chest, fest hidden in them. For the first time she was arrested, she wanted to get out. She wanted to find Peridot. She wanted answers.

A buzzing could be heard throughout the holding cells. It was Ruby's phone, which was laying on the desk. She picked it up, looking at the screen. A text message.

"Sapphy says she'll be here in a few minutes.."

Ruby was hoping to elicit a reaction from her old friend with the cutesy nickname she used for her girlfriend. All she got was a slight nod.

At least she understood.

Suddenly, Amethyst lifted her head. She looked over to Ruby, who sat up straight in her chair, hopeful.

"I need you to get out for a sec.."

"Oh.." Ruby's hopeful grin turned into a frown. She sighed and got up from her chair, making her way to the door. She turned back to Amethyst, who had stood from her bed.

"For how long?"

"I dunno.." Amethyst started, reaching into a plastic bag that Peridot had brought a few days ago. She pulled out a small box. "Enough time to put a pad on?"

"Oh.. okay." Ruby understood.. She left the room, deciding to stand outside the door for at least five minutes.

Amethyst went about her business. Luckily, she was able to catch herself before blood actually began to drip. Her boxer shorts remained intact. It would have been terrible to ruin them, considering that Peridot probably wasn't going to visit for a change of clothes any time soon.

She stripped from the waist down and opened the box that her pads were in.

With some struggling and loud noise from the wrapper, Amethyst opened the packaging.

She placed the pad between the cloth of her underwear and began to reclothe herself. She honestly hated the feeling of the blood just.. dripping from her. But she refused to use tampons.

"Hey, Ruby!" Amethyst called, jiggling the gate of her cell. "You can come in now!"

The door opened, and Ruby walked in. But following her was her girlfriend Sapphire, Garnet, and another woman.

This woman was of average height, maybe just a bit taller than Lapis when Amethyst saw her. She wore a grey parka over a long sleeved blouse, and she wore khaki pants.

She looked at Amethyst and smiled. Walking forward, she stuck her hand between the cell bars for Amethyst to shake.

"I'm Doctor Maheswaran. Sapphire told me all about you."

Amethyst was less than thrilled to see the doctor.. but to be polite, she took the doctor's hand.

"Amethyst.. I'm sure Sapphire told you my name too, though."

"No, actually. She left the introductions to us." Dr. Maheswaran pulled her hand away.

Garnet began to unlock Amethyst's cell door, much to the prostitute's surprise.

"We're not letting you out.." Garnet quickly explained, so as not to dash any hope. "We're letting the doctor in."

"Figures.." Amethyst crossed her arms and sat on her bed, averting her eyes from everyone else.

When the gate was opened, Dr. Maheswaran stepped in, and Garnet closed the door again, locking it.

"May I sit with you?" The doctor asked Amethyst.

The prostitute just moved herself a little to the side, leaving more than enough room for the doctor.

She took her seat, being sure to leave a comfortable distance between her and her patient.

"Now, before I start asking you 'and how does that make you feel?' over and over again.." The doctor started, earning a small smile from Amethyst with her joke. That was a good sign..

"..I wanted to ask you if you wanted your friends to stay in the room. From my experience, one on one confrontations are better for the patient, but I want you to feel as comfortable as possible."

Amethyst looked up toward the other three girls. Ruby and Sapphire were holding hands, both smiling kindly at the prostitute, and Garnet.. well she had her arms crossed, waiting for Amethyst's answer.

"If you guys don't mind..?" She asked hesitantly, to which Sapphire was quick to reply.

"Of course.. we'll be right outside, okay?"

"Yeah.." Ruby agreed. "You just get yourself settled."

"Thanks.." The couple left the room into the police station.

Garnet left the keys to Amethyst's cell in the door and began to follow her sisters.

"Hey Garnet.." The police woman stopped, turning her head to her friend.

"Yes Amethyst?"

Amethyst sighed, averting her eyes again. It actually hurt to talk about Peridot now..

"If.. if Peridot comes to visit, you know.. after this.. could you, I dunno.. tell her I'm sorry?"

"For what?" Garnet asked, surprised. From her point of view, it seemed lie the rich girl was the one that needed to apologize.

"For forgetting her."

"..of course." Sapphire had informed Garnet of the situation after she had told Ruby. The police woman could hardly believe that this kinda thing could actually happen.

"Thanks.. you're the best, you know?"

"I locked up one of my closest friends." Garnet countered, though she had a smile on her face. "I'd hardly consider that being the best." Then she left the room.

"Alright.." Amethyst said with a sigh, turning her body to face her therapist.

"Let's get started, I guess.."


	12. New Years Eve (Finale)

_"Happy New Years, sweetie."_

Peridot couldn't help but smile as her foster mother used the little pet name. At least she was in a good mood.

"Happy New Years, mother.. I'm guessing it's midnight in Italy?" Peridot asked, taking a quick look at the time on her phone. It was six o'clock at night in New York.

 _"Yes, it is. The fireworks are much more extravagant here than in New York, and the food is just to die for."_

It was then that Peridot listened closely. She could hear the light whistling and boom of several fireworks lighting the sky.

"I'm glad you're having so much fun."

 _"Are you not?"_

It was just like Yellow Diamond to be able to see through someone, like glass.. even over the phone and countries away.

Jasper and Lapis could only barely hear their employer's voice on the other end of the line. They decided that this conversation was best left in private.

The two stood from their seats, and with a friendly wave from Lapis to Peridot to gain her attention, they left.

 _"Peridot?"_

The woman's tone was of concern. Even if she couldn't be there for her adoptive child, she could at least lend an ear. It was New Year's, after all.

Peridot let out a sigh, gathering the words in her throat. She tried to stay calm, composed, but.. she just couldn't.

With a dry sob, a tear running down her cheek, she spoke into the phone.

"Mom.. do.. do you remember Amethyst?"

 _"Vaguely.. she was that friend you were so attached to, right?"_

"Yeah.. yeah, that's her."

 _"What about her?"_

"Well.. I found her again."

 _"That's wonderful.. but what's the problem?"_

Peridot bit her lip, wiping her tear away. Should she.. tell her foster mother about Amethyst's occupation? She decided that yes, she should. The woman was going to find out eventually anyway.

"It's a long story.. do you have time?"

 _"Always, dear.."_

Peridot could her hear the booming of the fireworks fading out in the background. Was her mother making her way inside of her hotel?

"Thanks.." She whispered. Taking a deep breath, she began to tell her mother everything that had happened in the past few days.

* * *

"So what's up, doc?" Amethyst asked, chuckling at her own joke.

Dr. Maheswaran just rolled her eyes. She cleared her throat, coughing into her hand before she began asking questions.

"First, I want you to tell me everything you remember about the orphanage you grew up in.."

"Not much to remember, really." Amethyst leaned back against the wall, hands behind her head.

"I practically lived there. I got basic schooling from Alex until around like, I dunno.. sixth grade? After that, she wasn't qualified to educate us, so I had to learn the rest on my own."

"And by 'us', you mean you and the other orphans?"

"Yeah.. Me, Sugilite, Sardonyx, Opal, Ruby, Sapphire, and Malachite. Well, Malachite didn't stay for long."

"You all had the names of gemstones?"

"Just me, really." Amethyst chuckled at the memory. "They all wanted nicknames because I was the only one with an actual name of a rock."

"I think that's very sweet.."

"They did too. Alex is a nickname too. Short for Alexandrite."

"I see.." The therapist wished that she had a pen and some paper right about now. This would be great to document. "So you had a lot of friends."

"I had friends before them, too.. But they were adopted. All of them were adopted. All except me."

"Do you think maybe one of those adoptions caused some specific pain to you?"

Dr. Maheswaran didn't know how close she was to the mark.

"I don't think so.." Amethyst stared up at the ceiling as she repeated her philosophy to the doctor that she told Peridot.

"I'm a girl that lives in the moment.. I have fun when I can, and when that fun is over.. well, I still have my memories of that fun."

"That's a nice way of thinking.." The doctor commented. She felt as if she were getting closer to Amethyst's problem. It seemed rather simple, really.

"So you live in the moment only to store those memories away later, but has there ever been a moment so devastating that you just.. couldn't bear it?"

"If there was, I don't remember." Amethyst's tone became sharp, and she stood up from her bed, hands on her hips as she faced the doctor.

"I mean, the whole point of this thing is to get my memory back, right? How am I gonna do that if I don't remember what my fucking memory is in the first place?"

"We were just looking in your past for some clues, is all." Dr. Maheswaran stayed calm, rather used to seeing her patients get a little irritated. "If you'd like, we can take a break before we move on."

Amethyst thought for a moment before nodding her head. She sat down beside the doctor again, taking a deep breath.

"Yeah.. yeah, a break sounds good. So tell me about yourself, doc."

"Priyanka is my first name." Dr. Maheswaran replied, smiling. "You may call me by that if it makes you feel better."

Amethyst smiled back.

"That name sounds so awesome."

* * *

"And then I just.. ran. I want to tell her, I do, but.. I'm scared."

Peridot finished speaking.. she had told her mother everything.

How she found Amethyst when she got to New York, how she hired the prostitute a couple months later just to see if she remembered.. the way they became friends all over again.

Yellow Diamond didn't speak for a while. Peridot could hear her mother breathing. It was odd, really, how steady it was. Then the rich girl realized three things.

First, that she had just told her mother that she paid a whore to fuck her.

Second, that she just came out as a lesbian, or at least bisexual.

And third.. that she almost pissed her pants in fear.

 _"First of all.."_ The woman finally spoke, her voice calm and collected. Peridot was afraid of what she would say. _"When I get home, we're going to have a little talk about you hiring a prostitute behind my back."_

"I know, but mother, I-"

 _"Secondly.."_ Her mother interrupted. _"Don't ever hide anything about yourself from me. I've had a few 'lady flings' in my past, so don't be afraid about talking about homosexuality with me."_

Peridot was stunned to silence. She didn't even try to defend herself this time. Her mind was reeling with the fact that her mother, Yellow Diamond, has had sex with women. Who could she possibly have done it with? She almost didn't catch what the woman said next.

 _"And Peridot.. just tell her everything. It's not good for you to bottle it all up."_

"I.. I know, but-"

 _"No. No buts except yours walking down to the police station."_ God, that was so cliché. _"Even if things don't work out, even if she doesn't feel the same way you do after you tell her, you'll still be friends, right? It's like your friend said. Memories are what matter."_

Peridot let out a hearty laugh, to which the woman on the other end chuckled at.

"You suck, mom.."

 _"I love you too, dear."_

And then Yellow Diamond hung up.

Peridot took her phone from her ear, looking down at the now blank screen.

"..bitch used Amethyst against me."

The rich girl stared out the door of the dining hall. Maybe.. maybe she should go see Amethyst.

* * *

"So you know Rose?"

"Oh yes."

Amethyst and Priyanka had gotten into a conversation about the friends that they had. It turns out that some of Amethyst's friends are Priyanka's patients.

"I was actually the one to deliver Steven. He's such a sweet boy. My little girl loves playing with him when they come for a check up."

"I wouldn't have expected you to have a kid, with a bangin' body like yours."

"Why thank you." Priyanka took the complement wholeheartedly. "But don't let my husband hear you. He's the jealous type."

"You're married?" Amethyst asked, earning a nod from the doctor. "..damn."

"Amethyst, you're my patient. The circumstances are different from you and your clients, I'm sure."

"Can't blame a girl for trying. It's my profession."

"You're in jail because of it."

"What, are they gonna lock me up again for whoring myself out in a prison cell?"

"Well, uhm.." This had the doctor stumped. Ultimately, she put her hands up in defeat. "Fine, you're right. But my choice is still no."

"Figures. I don't go for married women anyway. Not my style." Amethyst relaxed her posture, once again leaning her back against the wall. She would lay down, but the bed had another occupant.

"I've seen many prostitutes in my job, testing them for diseases.. but I think you're the first that seems to be a lesbian."

"Yeah, well.." Amethyst smirked. "Pussy just tastes better."

"A lot of my patients would disagree with you." Priyanka had no trouble talking to Amethyst about sex like this. She was a doctor. It was natural.

"Maybe they just like the feeling of dick in their throat."

"Or in their vagina."

Amethyst laughed and shook her head.

"I wouldn't know."

"There's no way you're a virgin." Priyanka scoffed, giving Amethyst a disbelieving look.

"I get the same reaction from everyone I tell, but it's the truth!" Amethyst insisted.

"I'll believe it when I see a hymen."

"Now who's the one trying to get the pants off of whom?"

Priyanka was completely taken aback. She stared, mouth agape at Amethyst, who had a wide grin on her face.

"You know what, no." Priyanka raised her hands in defeat once more. Damn, Amethyst was good. "I'll just take your word for it."

"Good." Amethyst stood from her bed, stretching her arms. That was enough of a break for now..

"So, you wanna get started on the second part of 'Picking Amethyst's Brain'?"

It was good that Amethyst was the first to suggest this. She was back in her comfort zone. Priyanka smiled, linking her fingers together.

"Of course.. Like I said before, I'm finished asking about your past."

"Thank fuck."

"Now I want to ask you about this Peridot girl that seems to be the center of your problems."

Amethyst sighed, crossing her arms.

"From one fire to another.."

"What's she like?" Dr. Maheswaran asked, ignoring Amethyst's comment. Despite herself, the prostitute was smiling at the thought of her friend. She practically began to gush.

"She's really nice. Funny, laid back.. even for being a rich girl." Amethyst uncrossed her arms and took a seat beside the doctor once more.

"I mean, you'd think she'd be all snobbish, wouldn't you? Having everything handed to her on a silver platter, never having to work for all of the stuff she has.. but she's different. She doesn't want all of that stuff. I don't know what she wants, actually. I must have known her back then.. what was her dream?"

Amethyst asked this question to herself, bringing her knees to her chest. She wrapped her arms around her legs and continued to talk.

"She's really pretty too. I think I like her weird hair most. Her eyes are a very close second."

"You seem to like a lot about this girl.." Priyanka interrupted, earning a chuckle from the prostitute.

"Guess I do. She's got a lot of good features. You know she hired me for.. you know.. right?"

Priyanka nodded. "I've been told."

"She's as green in that department as the grass on the other side of the fence. I mean.. I was her first kiss, too."

"So you took her virginity?"

Amethyst shook her head, fondly remembering the events of that night.

"No.. when I went put my hand down her pants, she kinda freaked out. She pulled away and we decided to c-call it quits for that night."

Amethyst's voice suddenly grew shaky. Priyanka couldn't see the prostitute's face passed her knees, but she could tell that Amethyst was crying. She went to put a hand on her patient's shoulder, but Amethyst continued to speak.

"I-I forgot her.. and after so many years, when she found me, she.. she wanted me to be her first time. I must have been a good friend, right..?"

Amethyst lifted her head, and Priyanka's suspicions were confirmed.

The prostitute had tears streaming down her face, dark spots on her blue jeans from the moisture.

"I mean.. she wanted me to pop her cherry, for fuck's sake." Amethyst stared at Priyanka, her tears falling freely from her eyes. She didn't try to stop them. She didn't want to.

For the first time in her life, Amethyst wanted to feel sad. She wanted to cry. She wanted to know what Peridot went through when the rich girl realized that Amethyst had forgotten her.

"Yeah.. yeah you were.."

Amethyst turned around to see Peridot standing in the doorway to the holding cells.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Please send reviews you might want to leave to me in a private message. I can NOT see recent reviews.**

 **Also, that new episode of Steven Universe.. Oh my god.**


	13. A New Day Full of Old Memories

**Author's Note: Reviews are working now. Hopefully, they'll keep it up.**

* * *

"You were the best friend I could ever have.."

Peridot had tears running down her face, just like Amethyst. Her arms hung limply at her sides. Garnet stood behind her, in the doorway.

Amethyst stood from the bed, walking as close to Peridot as possible without leaving her cell.

"Peri.."

"I, uh.. I heard everything."

"I'm so sorry.." Amethyst wanted to make amends so badly.. She grabbed the bars of her cell. "I want to remember you. I want to remember what I was like to you. I just.." Amethyst looked away. "I can't.."

"It's okay, really." Peridot tried to reassure her friend, wiping her tears away.

Dr. Maheswaran stood from the bed and made her way to the gate of Amethyst's cell. Garnet walked toward it as well, from the other side. Unlocking the gate, she let Priyanka from the cell.

"We'll continue our session some other time, Amethyst.." Priyanka told to the postitute.

Amethyst nodded at the doctor, and the woman left. As Garnet started to close the gate, Peridot spoke up.

"Um.. can I get in there first?"

The police woman took a second to think.. and then nodded. She stood aside and allowed the rich girl to enter the cell.

"Thanks.." Peridot whispered to Garnet as she walked by.

Garnet smiled and closed the gate.

"Don't mention it.. It's been a weird few days." She then backed away from the door, hands on her hips. "I'm going home for the day. You girls want anything? Some coffee, maybe?"

"What about Peridot?" Amethyst asked. The police woman smirked before replying.

"She's in there with you already."

"I mean you're just gonna leave her locked in here with me?" Amethyst wasn't in the mood for jokes. Was Garnet really going to lock Peridot in this cell for the evening?

"Well she seems to be making herself comfortable."

Amethyst turned around, and sure enough, Peridot was sitting on the bed, testing the springiness of the cheap mattress.

The silver haired girl couldn't believe this. She grabbed Peridot's hands and pulled her to her feet, surprising her.

"You are _**not**_ staying here.."

"Why not?" Peridot asked defensively. "We need to talk."

"Not in jail, Peri!" Amethyst turned toward Garnet again. "Don't let her do this, this place isn't for her!"

"It's not for you, either." Peridot took Amethyst's face in her hands, forcing the prostitute to look at her.

"You're the nicest, most selfless person I know. Don't you dare say that I don't belong here when you're more of a saint than anyone else in this God forsaken city."

"And we're meant to keep criminals in." Garnet interrupted. "No law saying we have to kick the innocent out."

"B-but.."

"No.." Peridot smiled at Amethyst, in an attempt to be calming. "I'm staying here, and I'm telling you everything."

"..Alright." Amethyst gave in. She figured that if Peridot was going to do this, it might as well be on the rich girl's terms.

The prostitute turned to Garnet again, who was patiently waiting with her arms crossed.

"I'll take a coffee.. thank you."

Garnet smiled, nodding.

"Sure."

And then she left the room.

* * *

Amethyst and Peridot are sitting in front of each other on Amethyst's bed, Peridot at the head while the prostitute sits at the foot.

Amethyst had her legs crossed, a hot cup of coffee in her hands. She sipped from the black magic occasionally, staring at the person in front of her.

Peridot was on her knees. She had no drink, and her hands were clenched into fists on top of her legs.

Neither of them knew how to speak at the moment.

After Garnet had left after giving Amethyst her coffee, the pair just.. sat down and stared at each other. The happenings earlier that day were still fresh in each others mind.

Peridot still regretted running from the building at the sight of Sapphire.

Amethyst was still reeling at the fact that she and Peridot went to the same orphanage.

Another few minutes pass. Amethyst goes to take another sip from her coffee, and Peridot finally speaks.

"Can.. can I have some?"

Amethyst's expression turned to one of disbelief. Didn't the blonde come here to talk about the past? Why didn't she just ask Garnet to get her some coffee too?

As these questions presented themselves to Amethyst, she found herself holding her cup out for Peridot to take, which she did.

Their fingers brushed against each other for just a moment. Peridot felt a chill up her spine while Amethyst felt heat rise to her cheeks.

And then the moment was gone as Peridot took a sip of the hot drink.

"Thank you.." She sighed, smiling a bit more as she handed the cup back to Amethyst. Coffee in winter was always the best pick me up.. well, next to hot chocolate.

"You could've just asked Garnet to get you a cup." Amethyst said as she took her drink back. Peridot shook her head.

"I, uh.. I don't know her well enough. She's kind of intimidating."

"Nah, Garnet's a big ol' sweetheart." Amethyst said with a chuckle. "You know she knocked her mom on her ass cuz she hit Ruby?"

"Why do you have to tell me that?" Peridot asked, groaning. "That just makes me more afraid of her."

"Come on, she's not gonna hurt you. As long as you don't fuck with her sisters, at least."

"I'll keep that in mind."

Talking got to be a lot easier after this.. The ice was broken, and the words just flowed.

Peridot talked about how she felt sorry for running away from Amethyst earlier that day. She felt absolutely terrible about it. Even though Amethyst said it was fine, waving off the rich girl's apology, she was still sorry.

"I mean.. when my mom called me cuz it was New Years in Italy, I told her everything."

Peridot had made herself more comfortable. She sat on the bed with her back against the wall, beside Amethyst as she recounted the conversation she had with Yellow Diamond.

"And I mean everything.. I told her how you showed up in New York after so many years, how I took my time before I talked to you.. even how I hired you."

"I bet she didn't take that information too well." Amethyst joked, drinking the last of her coffee before placing the empty cup on the floor.

"She was pretty cool with it, actually.." Peridot smiled at the memory. "I don't know if she was drunk or just in a good mood, but I'm so glad she reacted positively.. I mean, I kinda came out of the closet to her at the same time, you know?"

"So you're gay?" Amethyst asked, and Peridot stared at her.

"Seriously?" She asked in disbelief. "A few days ago we were sucking on each others lips and you're asking if I'm a lesbian?"

Amethyst shrugged. "Hey, for all I knew, you could have played for both teams."

"You're really something, Ame.." Peridot said with a smile. Amethyst raised an eyebrow at the use of her nickname.

"You talk to Steven lately?"

"Earlier today, yeah. He's a cute kid." Remembering her conversation with the child, Peridot felt a pang of sadness in her heart. She remembered.. that she was the reason that Amethyst was in jail in the first place.

"He said.." Peridot started. "That if I didn't show up at your landlady's house when I did, asking to see you.. that you wouldn't be in jail now."

Amethyst was surprised. Steven was the last person that the prostitute would have thought to blame Peridot for her incarceration.

"But he also said that he trusts me.." Peridot smiled at this, putting a hand over her heart. "He said that he could tell I wasn't a bad person, and that you were happier after meeting me. Weird, right?" Peridot laughed, sighing as she closed her eyes.

"I haven't talked to the little guy since you showed up, how can he know how I feel?" Amethyst asked this with skepticism in her voice. It was natural, really.

"Just a feeling, he said.. I'm just as confused as you are."

The two stayed silent for a while. After a time, Peridot took her phone out of her pocket. She had to squint her eyes because the screen was so bright. She didn't realize that it had gotten so dark in the cell.

Looking at the screen after her eyes adjusted to the brightness, she found out that it was almost a half hour after midnight.

"Huh.. Happy New Years.." Peridot whispered.

"Really?" Amethyst asked, taking a look at Peridot's phone. Sure enough, it was New Years Day.

"So much for that party in my cell.."

"I'm pretty sure Garnet will let everyone in tomorrow.." Peridot was positive about that. "She might have told them we were having a little talk."

"Oh, yeah.. that sounds like Garnet."

More silence follows. The girls sit together, and even though it was so late in the evening.. neither of them were tired.

"He was right, you know.." Amethyst said, and Peridot gave her a quizzical look.

"Who was right?"

"Steven.." Amethyst smiled, a light blush on her face. "When he said I was happier after meeting you."

"..really?" Peridot was happy to hear this.. She was afraid that she was just another customer to the prostitute.. well, until Amethyst figured out that Peridot was from her past.

"Yeah, really." Amethyst brushed a strand of hair from her face, averting her eyes from Peridot's.

"It's weird, you know..? "I-I mean.." Amethyst hid her face in her hands. Why did she have to stutter now, of all times? She took a deep breath, stealing a glance at Peridot.

The rich girl sat there, her legs crossed as she intently listened to her friend.

Amethyst continued.

"I had a lot of fun with you.. not just the kissing and fondling and stuff, but.. just being with you. I.. I usually don't feel like that."

"I mean, I do with Vidalia, she's been one of my best friends since I got to New York, but with you.." Amethyst chuckled. "..it's different somehow."

"How's it different?" Peridot pressured.

"I don't know, Peri.." Amethyst sighed and decided to stand from the bed. She needed to let out some energy, and began to pace back and forth in the cell.

"I've never felt like this.. My whole life, I've just been bouncing from house to house after leaving the orphanage until I got to New York, and I never got so.. excited like I do with you."

Realization slowly dawned on Peridot. Her eyes widened as she continued to listen to Amethyst's rant.

"Like, I get this pit in my stomach every time I think about you, like my mind just.. goes blank except for your face." Amethyst stopped pacing and hugged herself. A shiver went down her spine as she finished.

"You're just so.. addicting to me."

"So you love me?"

"Say what now?" Amethyst looked at Peridot, her eyes wide. Peridot's eyes were just as wide, if not wider. That question she just asked.. she already knew the answer to.

"You love me." Peridot repeated, more as a statement than a question.

Those words repeated themselves over and over in Amethyst's mind. Did she really love Peridot?

Now that she thought about it.. it did make sense.

That electric feeling on her lips when they kissed, the fuzziness in her head when she thought about the rich girl, and the fact that Peridot was the only one to make her feel like this.

"I guess.." Amethyst muttered, once again looking away from her friend. It was pretty obvious to her now..

"I wonder if you felt like that when we were in the orphanage together.."

"I wouldn't know, remember?" Amethyst said with a chuckle. "Seriously, I kinda just confess my feelings for you and that's all you can say?"

Peridot smiled, closing her eyes once more. For some reason.. she felt as if she were at peace with the world.

"Sorry.. I'm just happy, I guess."

"Does that mean you feel the same way?"

"..I dunno." Peridot opened her eyes, looking down at her hands. "I was so.. so happy when you showed up in New York. Every time I tried to talk to you, I felt so anxious, like.. like I couldn't breathe. You don't know how many times I stood outside your door at night."

"That''s kinda creepy, Peri." Amethyst commented. Peridot laughed and looked up at the prostitute.

"Sorry.. but to answer your question, I guess I do love you."

Amethyst repeated Peridot's earlier words. "I wonder if you felt that way back in the orphanage."

"I did promise to tell you all about it, didn't I?" Peridot asked, and Amethyst nodded.

"You didn't forget, did you, girl?"

"No.." Peridot shook her head. "No. I didn't."

Amethyst took her seat beside Peridot on her bed again, and the rich girl started telling Amethyst about their lives together in the orphanage.

She said that Amethyst was the first to make Peridot feel at home, that she made Peridot feel as if her real parents were still with her in her memories.

Peridot talked about the little adventures they would have outside, pretending that they were space pirates raiding Earth. Sugilite, Opal, and Sardonyx were the earthlings.

"I remember doing that.." Amethyst interrupted. "But I still don't remember you being there. It was me, Sapphire, and Ruby as the pirates."

"We were all there." Peridot said excitedly, kind of glad to repeat all of these memories to Amethyst. "I was the one who made all the plans. Ruby and Sapphire used small branches as swords and you-"

"I jumped out of pile of leaves on Sugilite's back.. Oh man, that was a blast." Amethyst laughed at the memory, remembering how loud the bigger girl screamed. She didn't think that Sugilite's voice could ever get that high.

But then.. she remembered something else.

A girl in a green sundress..

"There was someone else there.." Amethyst whispered, and Peridot sat up straight. Did Amethyst remember her..?

"She ran at Sugilite and.. all three of us got knocked back in the pile of leaves. I scraped my elbow because of that."

"Then when you told Alex, I got in trouble." Peridot continued, her smile growing wider.

"You had to change my bandages after every bath I took." Amethyst's smile was just as wide. She lurched forward, suddenly on her knees as she took Peridot's hands in hers.

"You said you were sorry so many times.." Amethyst had tears in her eyes now, her voice picking up in speed. "I told you it was alright, but you didn't think so. You even went in the kitchen and stole an extra bag of chips for me. I was like-"

"You're pulling a 'me'." Peridot finished Amethyst's thought, nodding excitedly. "So you remember me?"

"Just that day.. but I remember it." Amethyst was so excited. It was so late at night, but the prostitute couldn't even think of sleeping.

Peridot continued retelling everything that she and Amethyst did.

Over time, the two sat closer to each other in the bed.

Peridot told Amethyst about how they would climb trees together after Amethyst's insistent begging.

She said that Amethyst would also talk her into raiding the kitchen at night for a midnight snack for everyone.

Peridot even mentioned that when she was sad at night, crying over the death of her parents, Amethyst was the only one able to cheer her up.

Amethyst now had her head resting on Peridot's shoulder, wrapping her arms around the rich girl as she spoke. The memories were slowly coming back to her.

This is what she needed. Even in this jail cell, sitting with Peridot like this just felt.. right.

Amethyst remembered holding Peridot as she cried..

She remembered taking the blame for Peridot when the blonde dared to steal an extra sandwich by herself. They later split the sandwich and ate it together.

Amethyst just.. remembered.

Piece by piece, it came back to her. Everything began to fall into place.

As Peridot was talking about a particular memory where Amethyst got sick because of an old sandwich she found under her bed, Amethyst brought her hand to cup Peridot's cheek. Peridot stopped talking.

"You held my hair while I puked in the toilet." Amethyst continued. "Ruby wouldn't even get near me.."

Peridot placed her hand on top of Amethyst's holding it against her cheek.

"I stayed in bed for a few days. Even when I felt fine again, you wouldn't let me out of bed before checking my temperature."

Amethyst brought their faces closer together. Slowly, their lips were a hair's width apart.

"I remember everything, Peri.."

And then they kissed **.**


	14. Freedom (Sort Of)

**8:24 PM. Garnet's Apartment**

* * *

"I wonder how they're doing.." Ruby asked this as she poked at her spaghetti.

She, Sapphire, and Garnet were all sitting at the kitchen table in their apartment.

Garnet had changed from her police uniform after getting home. She now wore a white tee shirt and blue jeans, and her sunglasses were in her room, on her nightstand.

Most who saw Garnet without her sunglasses would say that her eyes are rather odd.

Her left eye was of the deepest shade of blue, calming as can be.

Yet, her right eye was a dark brown. One could even say it almost takes a reddish hue.

"I'm sure they're fine, Ruby."

Sapphire sat across from her girlfriend, and even though she said for Ruby not to worry.. she was pretty anxious herself.

"You never know." Garnet was the happy medium, putting a fork full of spaghetti in her mouth. Ruby and Sapphire stared at her, open mouthed.

When she noticed that she was being scrutinized for her words, Garnet swallowed and began speaking in her defense.

"I mean, we all know Amethyst is a 'go with the flow' kind of girl, but.."

"But..?" Ruby pressured, angrily shoving spaghetti in her mouth.

Garnet sighed. "Losing your memory is a big deal, especially for Amethyst.. She loves her memories more than anyone else I know. If she was forced to forget her best friend from the orphanage, well.. it must have been a really traumatic experience."

Ruby didn't respond this time.. She knew that Garnet was right. Something that made Amethyst lose her memory had to be serious, and getting it back might not be as easy as they all hope.

"But Peridot _**is**_ her best friend.."

Ruby and Garnet looked over to Sapphire as she spoke. Her light hair was pulled back into a ponytail so as to not let it fall in her food. She calmly slurped a noodle into her mouth before she continued speaking.

"I don't believe for a second that they had a falling out.. I honestly think it happened when Peridot was adopted."

"But Amethyst said that she was used to watching her friends come and go." Ruby argued. Sapphire nodded.

"Yeah, but.. those two were practically inseparable. Amethyst's never been so close to anyone else in her life before."

"So you believe that because Amethyst loves her memories so much, she subconsciously erased Peridot from her mind entirely because her being adopted was too stressful for her?" Garnet asked, starting to understand where Sapphire was going.

"More or less.." Sapphire sighed, pushing her plate toward the middle of the table. She had eaten most of her food, but only to keep up appearances. She was sure that none of them were hungry, completely wrought with worry. "I just hope I'm right and Peridot can get Amethyst's memories back.."

 **7:47 AM. New York Police Department**

* * *

For the first time since being imprisoned, Amethyst felt warm upon waking up in her cell. Though she was awake, she kept her eyes closed in the hopes that maybe, just maybe, she would fall asleep again.

Another thing is that there's something rather heavy on top of her.. Did one of the night guards give her a woolen blanket or something?

Nah, she wouldn't have her arms wrapped around a blanket.. maybe a pillow? No, it was too heavy for a pillow. Besides, it was breathing.

Oh..

Amethyst sighed in the crook of Peridot's neck, holding her 'blanket' more tightly against herself.

Peridot's snoring was quiet, peaceful. They had stayed up so late in the night.. what time was it now?

Amethyst didn't really care at the moment. She just wanted to fall back asleep with Peridot in her arms. The cool morning air and a warm body to cuddle with.. this was the best.

* * *

Amethyst next woke up to the sound of a flushing toilet. She was on her stomach now, arm hanging over the side of the bed. The weight that was on her had vanished.

Slowly, she propped herself on her arms, looking around in time to see Peridot pulling up her sweatpants. For just a second, she thought she saw a bit of Peridot's underwear.. were they pink?

"Good morning, sleepyhead.." Peridot greeted Amethyst, turning to the sink beside the toilet to wash her hands.

"What time is it..?" Amethyst asked, her voice slightly slurred. She sat up in her bed, the blanket around her slipping halfway down her body as she rubbed her eyes.

"Last I checked, it was almost noon."

"We slept for that long?" Amethyst could hardly believe this. She'd never overslept before, at least not when she was expecting company. "Did Rose and the others come over?"

"Not yet.." Peridot turned off the water to the sink, drying her hands on the purple sweater she wore. She turned around and walked back to the bed, sitting beside Amethyst. "Garnet came in, though. Asked if I wanted to be let out, yet."

"And what did you say?" Amethyst asked, though the answer was obvious. Being sleepy just might be messing with her words a little bit.

Peridot smiled and leaned in towards Amethyst. The blonde had never initiated the kiss until now.. but she didn't feel nervous at all. She lightly pressed her lips against Amethyst's in a chaste peck, smiling as she pulled away.

Well, Amethyst had her answer.

"So.. we a thing, now?" Amethyst asked, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear. Despite being the more forward one of the two girls, she still felt.. anxious.

"I'd like to think so." Peridot answered. She let out a chuckle, resting her shoulder on Amethyst's shoulder. "I wonder what my mom's gonna think.. being the girlfriend of a prostitute."

"Ex-prostitute." Amethyst corrected, draping her arm over Peridot's shoulder. "I'm thinking of going into a different line of work. Maybe Pearl can get me a stocking job at the convenience store she works at."

"I thought you loved your job." Peridot was surprised, really. She was fully prepared to let Amethyst keep her job as a prostitute. She knew that Amethyst would refuse any loans from Peridot, even if they were together.

"Well, I love you more."

It felt good.. to hear Amethyst say that. Peridot wrapped her arms around Amethyst's torso, giggling like a school girl as she cuddled up as close as possible to her girlfriend.

"I love you too.."

The new couple sat in silence for a few minutes, just enjoying each others company. It was odd, to think about it.

Peridot had hired Amethyst to take her virginity a little more than a week ago, and now here they were.. Peridot was still pure, and she was dating the prostitute she hired. How many people can say they've been in the same circumstances?

"You called her your mom.." Amethyst stated out of the blue. Peridot looked up at her girlfriend, confused. Why would she bring up Yellow Diamond at a time like this?

"Well yeah.. why wouldn't I?"

"Just that whenever you talked about her, you'd always call her your 'foster mother' or something like that."

Peridot felt a her face heat up and she hid her face in Amethyst's neck.

"I told you.. we had a pretty emotional phone call."

"So that one conversation changed your whole opinion on her?"

"Sorta.." Peridot did think it was rather silly, now that the words were coming from someone else. But she still felt.. better, after speaking to her mother like that. Peridot had never admitted anything about her personal life to Yellow Diamond before, and with how well she took the information from yesterday, well.. it boosted Peridot's self esteem and her opinion on the woman.

"Well I'm glad.. Parents must be nice to have."

Now Peridot felt a wave of guilt along with the silliness.

"I'm sorry.."

"It's fine." Really, Amethyst didn't mind. As far as she cared, the woman who raised her in the orphanage was her mother. She wondered how Alex was doing.

A knock on the holding cells door brought the girls from their thoughts. Garnet entered the room, followed by Ruby, Sapphire, and Rose.

Peridot and Amethyst stood from the bed, smiles wide as they greeted their friends. Well, Ruby and Sapphire were their friends. Rose was more like an acquaintance to Peridot.

"Hey guys, what's up?" Amethyst greeted everyone, a hand on her hip.

"Not much, just lettin' you out for the day." Garnet wanted to be straight forward and not beat around any bushes. Taking her keys from the belt of her uniform, the police woman opened the cell door and let it swing open.

"Is that allowed?" Amethyst asked. Not that she wasn't thrilled to get to see all of her friends again on New Year's Day, but.. she didn't want Garnet to get in trouble.

"Doesn't matter.. higher ups approved it." Garnet explained, crossing her arms as she smirked.

"Yeah, so get your asses out here." Ruby rushed Amethyst and Peridot, obviously excited. "We got so much to talk about!"

Amethyst really didn't need any more incentive than that, and Peridot was just as excited. The couple eagerly ran from the cell, joining their friends in the outside world.

* * *

The group is walking down the street toward Amethyst's apartment. Ruby and Sapphire are hand in hand while Amethyst and Peridot just walk beside each other. Rose and Garnet are walking together behind everyone else. Amethyst had just asked Garnet if it was right for her to attend a party while on duty. The police woman shrugged.

"I'm technically doing my job. Think of it as escorting a criminal."

"Right.." That was such a Garnet answer.

"I still don't get it." Peridot stated, turning to look back at Garnet. "What sort of higher officials would approve letting out a prisoner without any sort of plea? I'm not complaining, but still."

Surprisingly, Rose was the one to answer Peridot's question.

"Oh, I called an old friend last night.. She has a lot of power in the city, so I asked her if she could do anything for Amethyst. It's strange.." The tall woman furrowed her brow. "As soon as I said that name, she said everything would be taken care of. I didn't have to beg or anything."

"That's pretty sweet." Amethyst grinned, holding her hands behind her head as she walked. "Even the big shots know about me."

"What was her name?" Sapphire asked. She and everyone else were rather curious as to who this 'higher authority' was.

"It's rather silly, honestly." Rose started with a chuckle. "She has a color as her first name and a gem as her last name, can you believe that?"

"No.." Amethyst and Peridot stopped in their tracks simultaneously, staring up at the taller woman.

"Yes, really." Rose took the two girls' reaction as surprise to the fact that anyone could have a color for a name. But she didn't know that they already knew who Rose's friend was just from that information.

"Her name is Yellow Diamond."


	15. Catching Up

"How do you know my mom?" Peridot asked, her mouth agape at the information given to her by Rose.

The blonde's mind was racing with different possibilities.

Was Rose the 'lady fling' that Yellow diamond said she had in the past?

Were they just childhood best friends who happened to go their separate ways during college, or did they meet in college and become friends then?

Even then, how would they have become friends in the first place? Their personalities were entirely different. Rose was so calm, understanding, and Yellow Diamond.. well, she was cold and calculating.

It was strange to even think that these two could have ever been friends, really.

Amethyst was just as surprised. Not for the same reason Peridot was, but she was surprised, nonetheless.

"How come you never talked about her?" The ex-prostitute asked, regaining her composure more quickly than her girlfriend, who was still staring up at Rose with wide eyes.

"She never came up in conversation until now.." Rose explained, shrugging her shoulders. "And I had no idea she was your mother. She never talked about having a child." The woman said, turning to Peridot.

"I'm adopted.."

"I see.." Rose shrugged again and gestured for the group to continue walking. It took Amethyst pulling on Peridot's hand to actually get her to move.

Garnet, Ruby, and Sapphire were surprised as well, but they weren't involved enough to feel as if they needed to ask questions.

"Anyway.." Rose continued. "Your mother and I are actually old friends. We grew up in the same neighborhood in Maryland."

"You knew each other for that long?" Amethyst asked. "Why didn't you ever hit her up for some extra cash?"

"Didn't need it, and didn't want it." Rose replied with authority. "My family and I are perfectly stable at where we stand. More money and it could go to Steven's head."

"Oh, how does he like his plane?" The mention of Steven made Amethyst excited to see the boy's smiling face again. He was such a good kid, so kind.. The silver haired girl could understand why Rose wouldn't want him to become corrupt with money.

"Oh he loves it." Rose replied. "He hasn't stopped playing with it since I gave it to him. He knows it's from Aunty Amethyst, of course." Amethyst smiled, a small blush forming on her face.

"I'm glad he likes it.."

"Has he talked about me since I left, yesterday?" Peridot asked. She had actually forgotten how hurtful the boy was to her after getting together with Amethyst. Of course she didn't hold anything against him for hurting her feelings. He was just a child, after all. Not to mention he didn't blame her for anything.

"Oh I gave him a stern talking to." Rose pursed her lips, remembering the conversation she had with her son. "I told him that some things are just not right to say at certain times."

"He didn't get in too much trouble, did he?"

Rose chuckled, rather amused that Peridot was worried for Steven.

"No, he's not in trouble. He would have been, but he started bawling about how he hoped you were okay.. He wouldn't have cared if I punished him or not, I'm sure."

Peridot sighed, smiling. She was glad that Steven wasn't in trouble for her sake. The boy was so kind.. even at his age, peridot knew he'd grow up to be someone extraordinary.

"Screw all this small talk!" Ruby almost shouted, shoving Peridot from behind with her free hand, causing the blonde to stumble. "We have some catching up to do!"

The rest of the walk to Amethyst's apartment is spent with conversation about how the girls grew up after the orphanage.. and how Amethyst had finally remembered Peridot.

"I still can't believe you forgot her in the first place." Sapphire stated. "You always talked about how memories are the most important thing to you."

"Yeah I know.." Amethyst said quietly, not really wanting to bring up the fact that she forgot her best friend now girlfriend. "I still feel awful about that."

"Do you know what made you forget in the first place?" Ruby inquired. Amethyst nodded.

"Yeah, it was stupid though.. it doesn't matter anymore."

"Well duh, but I'm curious." Ruby pressured.

"You know she won't give up on this, Amethyst.." Sapphire reasoned. Amethyst laughed, shaking her head.

"Yeah, I know.. Like I said, it was a pretty stupid reason."

Amethyst explained that she lost her memory when Peridot left the orphanage. None of the group had even considered that possibility because Amethyst was always so in love with her memories, even the bad ones. Around them, the streets started to look more worn, and dirty. They could tell that they were reaching their destination.

"But when you left.. I dunno.. it sort of crushed me." Amethyst said to Peridot. Though, the ex-prostitute didn't even look at her girlfriend. She had promised that she would never forget Peridot, but she did.. As soon as the blonde left, no less.

Amethyst only looked up when she felt Peridot's hand slide into hers. The blonde was smiling widely, her eyes practically sparkling behind her glasses.

"It doesn't matter now.."

"No.. no it doesn't." Amethyst would have kissed Peridot then and there, but she wanted to tell everyone about their new relationship. So she stuck with a smile, for now.

Garnet raised an eyebrow at the pair's affection toward one another.. but she pushed her thoughts aside. Surely Amethyst wouldn't think of putting herself out after just getting a free day from prison.

The next few minutes were spent in idle conversation between the four girls from the orphanage. Peridot filled Ruby and Sapphire in on what happened since they left, and vice versa.

The couple was honestly a little surprised that Peridot was taken into such a well off household.

"I'm happy there, of course.. My maid and driver are like the best of friends, but.." The blonde trailed off, biting her lip. "It doesn't feel like home."

"You always did sleep well in the orphanage.." Sapphire commented.

"Yeah!" Ruby added. "You didn't even piss yourself when I stuck your hand in warm water." Peridot stared at Ruby in exasperation.

"You did _**what**_ , now?"

"Oh look, we're here!" Amethyst interrupted suddenly, pointing down the street to Pearl handing out food for the homeless. Her little stand was decorated with many different lights, most of them leftover from Christmas. It was New Year's Day, after all.

Amethyst would just love to see Ruby get yelled at, but after hearing Sapphire's story about all those dreams she had concerning her mother.. well, let's just say that the ex-prostitute would prefer her new girlfriend to stay alive.

Amethyst rushed forward to greet her friend, and the rest of the group followed excitedly. Peridot already forgot her anger towards Ruby.. she was just happy that Amethyst was happy.

"Yo, Pearl!" Amethyst called. Pearl looked up from serving some soup to a rather skinny woman just in time to see Amethyst skid to a halt in front of her stand.

"Amethyst!" After making sure the woman got her food, Pearl ran around the front of her stand. She had to bend down a little, but she was able to pull her friend into an almost crushing hug.

The shorter girl was surprised that Pearl could even be this strong.

"P.. choking. Not breathing." Amethyst managed to get these words out and Pearl immediately pulled away, hands on Amethyst's shoulders, taking a good look at her friend.

"Are you alright? You didn't get violated, did you?"

"Woah, jumping to conclusions there, P." Amethyst replied with a chuckle. "Nah, I had a cell all to myself."

"Oh.." Pearl was glad that Amethyst was okay, but she had a good reason for assuming. "But you look so horrible!"

"Gee, thanks, P." Amethyst said sarcastically, blowing her hair from her face. "That's some welcome."

Pearl blushed and stood up straight, crossing her arms.

"Well you look like you haven't showered in days."

"That's because I _**haven't**_ showered in days." Amethyst retorted.

"You don't have a shower in jail?" Pearl looked up in disbelief at Garnet, who had just caught up with the rest of the group. "How can you not have a shower in jail?"

"The holding cells are usually meant to hold a convict for just a couple days, until someone pays bail or they're tried in court." Garnet explained, crossing her arms. "Would you rather we send her to the Metropolitan Correctional Center?"

"Well.." Pearl bit her lip and grabbed her arm, shaking her head. "No.. no."

"If it makes you feel any better." Amethyst started. "I'll take a shower after I say hey to everybody else."

Pearl smiled at the thought.

"Good. You smell awful."

"Oh ha ha." Amethyst punched Pearl in the arm, and they both laughed.

"Where are Greg, Steven, and Vidalia, anyway?" Peridot asked.

"Oh, Greg and Steven are inside." Pearl responded, pointing behind her with her thumb in the direction of Rose's house. "And Vidalia's at home looking after her child."

Amethyst's screech would have broken windows, if she were close enough to them.

Everyone literally had to cover their ears to protect their ear drums from such a high pitched noise. Pearl was the first to react after Amethyst became quiet again.

"What the _**fuck**_ is wrong with you?!" Pearl, Ruby, and Perridot yelled simultaneously.

Amethyst would have congratulated Pearl on using a swear word if she weren't so shocked.

"How could get knocked up and have a kid in just five days?!"

"She never told you?" Rose asked calmly, though she was in just as much pain. "She had an illegitimate child with Marty."

"NO she never told me!" Amethyst yelled, grabbing at her hair. "This had to have been before I met her, it had to!"

"Well he's nine years old, so.." Pearl said, trailing off.

 _ **"He's nine!?"**_ Amethyst just kept getting more and more surprised. "He's older than Steven!"

"Speaking of whom.." Rose stated, using her hands to turn Amethyst's head in the direction of her home. Steven was looking out of a window in Rose's house. It seemed like her heard Amethyst's screech and grew concerned.

Amethyst sighed and smiled, waving at the boy. His smile couldn't be any wider as he realized just who it was outside. He disappeared from the window, probably making his way to the front door to run out and greet his Aunty Amethyst. The ex-prostitute whispered under her breath.

"I swear, that girl's gonna kill me.."

* * *

 **Author's Note: So sorry for the delay. College has been keeping me extremely busy. I'll try to get the chapters for my stories out there as soon as possible, and I plan on completing a couple of my stories that I'm working on before I start anything new, to lighten my load a bit.**

 **I hope you guys can forgive me, and I hope you enjoy this chapter.**


	16. New Years Party (Part 1)

"Ame, Happy New Years!"

Steven practically burst through his front door excitedly running up to his Aunty Amethyst. Without warning, he jumped into her arms, and she caught him as if he's done this a thousand times; which he has.

"Happy New Years, little man." Amethyst repeated as the young boy rubbed his cheek against Amethyst's. "Do you like your Christmas present?"

"Oh yeah, I love it!" Steven seemed to be more excited than usual. It was probably because he's gone almost a week without seeing one of his most favorite people in the world.

As this little exchange went on, Garnet was introducing Pearl to her sisters.

"So Pearl, this is Rebecca." Garnet gestured to the girl with the light blue hair, scar across her eye. She smiled politely.

"You can just call me Sapphire."

"And this is Sarah." Garnet gestured to the girl with a hairstyle similar to Garnet's, the same shade of brown.

"Ruby's fine."

"I'm more than happy to call you by your nicknames, honestly." Pearl commented. "It feels more natural, really. Considering pretty much everyone I know is named after a gem, you know?"

"Yeah.." Ruby started, crossing her arms. "It's still hard to believe that there are so many people like that in New York. I mean, I thought Amethyst, Peridot, and Garnet were the only ones."

"It's a bigger world than you'd think." Pearl replied, and Ruby almost laughed at how philosophical that sounded.

"Oh!" Steven exclaimed, looking up at Amethyst. Pearl and the others put their conversation on hold for now. "Can you let me down?"

Amethyst nodded and did as the boy asked. Steven turned to face Peridot, looking to the ground in shame.

"I'm sorry for what I said yesterday.."

Really, Peridot had hoped to avoid this topic. When Steven had ran up to Amethyst like that, she had thought that the boy had forgotten about what he said.

She looked back to Steven's mother, who smiled reassuringly. Rose was proud of her son's action, and she wanted Peridot to respond in turn.

Peridot sighed and looked back down at Steven. She got down on one knee to be at eye level with him, and she smiled.

"It's okay." It really was. Peridot didn't care about what he had said anymore. She was happy, and her beloved Amethyst was back in her life. "I'm not upset, so don't worry about it. Okay?"

"You sure?" It was adorable, really, how Steven was so worried Peridot's feelings. He looked into her eyes, his own wide with concern and wonder.

Peridot couldn't help but feel that this boy was going to change the world with his kindness.

"Yes, I'm sure." As soon as the words left Peridot's mouth, Steven wrapped his arms around her neck in a hug.

This would have been awkward under normal circumstances, but she found it easy to hug the boy back. Probably because of how Peridot felt at the moment.

Her best friend from the orphanage remembered her, they had started dating, and her foster mother had become more like an actual mother to her overnight.

This day really couldn't get any better.

Steven was the first to break the hug, and Peridot stood, smiling down at the boy.

Rose couldn't be more happier than when watching this little exchange. Well, except when Greg had proposed to her on that magical evening. She couldn't stop crying because she was so happy.

Rose walked forward and picked up her son up into her arms, and the woman turned to face the group.

"Well, let's all go inside. I think we all deserve a good party."

"You know I told you not to call it a 'good' party unless there's booze involved." Amethyst stated as the group made their way inside of Rose's home.

"Amethyst, it's barely passed noon." Pearl scolded, her arms crossed. "Not to mention Steven is present. And you're still underage as well. As are myself, Ruby, and Sapphire, I'm sure."

"And me." Peridot admitted. "I'm nineteen."

"Oh.. You seemed older."

"You're kidding me." Amethyst scoffed, feigning offense. "I'm the one that used to be a hooker and you thought Peri was older than me?"

They finally entered the house, and Rose left with Steven to go find Greg who appeared to be in a different room of the house.

"Well you can hardly blame me." Pearl retorted. "She's very mature for her age."

"Well how old are you?" Peridot asked, feeling a slight frustration rise at being talked about as if she weren't there.

"I'm twenty, actually." Pearl answered Peridot, but shot Amethyst a smug smile. "Just a few months until I can drink legally, unlike some people."

"What's this about you quitting prostitution?" Garnet asked.

It seems that Garnet was the only one that Amethyst's words got to. Everyone in the room, excluding Peridot, stared at Amethyst. She just shrugged, brushing off the question nonchalantly.

"I'll tell you guys everything when Vidalia gets here. It'd be easier to tell you all at once."

Pearl opened her mouth to speak, but was quickly cut off by Garnet.

"Fair enough. We're supposed to be having fun today, anyway. Explanations can come later."

"Right on!" Amethyst exclaimed, obviously glad to put off confessions for now.

Rose came back to the living room, followed by Greg and Steven. The boy was pushing a karaoke machine on wheels, and Greg had a rolled up Twister mat under his arm.

"So, everyone." Rose started, clasping her hands together. "Let's make this New Year's the best so far."

* * *

The New Year's party certainly turned into something to remember, even though it started slow.

Pearl continued her conversation with Ruby and Sapphire, and was surprised to find that the two were in a romantic relationship. It was hard to get her words out, but when she did, it was to the amusement of the couple.

"So.. you two are together.. Romantically?"

"How can we make it any clearer, Pencil Neck?" Ruby asked, laughing. "We're dating, we're girlfriend and girlfriend, we make out under the mistletoe on Christmas, what else do you need?"

"But.. You're.." It was hard to form words without feeling embarrassed. She gripped her arm, averting her eyes from the tomboy. How was Garnet okay with this, being involved in law enforcement? "Aren't you.. Sisters?"

"Oh." Ruby finally understood why Pearl was getting so flustered. This made her laugh even harder, so much that she had to steady herself against the wall. Sapphire let out a few chuckles herself, but she was mature enough to speak and put Pearl's mind at ease.

"We're Garnet's adopted sisters. Ruby and I actually went to the same orphanage as Amethyst. I joined the orphanage after Ruby did, so we're not related either."

"Oh thank God." Pearl did nothing to hide her relief, putting a hand to her chest with a sigh. "I mean, I wouldn't ridicule you if you _**were**_ blood related, but incest.. Well it just seems odd to me."

"I see what you mean." Sapphire said, nodding. "Even so.." She paused here, taking a quick look at Ruby. She was still laughing, even complaining that she might pee herself. Sapphire couldn't help but smile. "..I feel that I would still love her romantically if we were related."

Pearl tried not to be disturbed by this information, she really did. Still, just the thought of being romantically involved with someone of the same blood made her want to retch. Perhaps, though, she felt that way because her only blood relatives, her parents, were gone from this world.

Pushing that thought to the back of her mind, she continued the conversation when Ruby finally caught her breath.

"You know I would have to arrest Rose and Greg if they allowed you to drink under their roof, right?"

Garnet was talking to Amethyst, who was still complaining about there not being any alcoholic beverage to be had.

"It's New Years, Garnet!" Amethyst protested. "You can't have a good New Years without a good drink!"

"I'd have to arrest you too, if you keep pushing it." Garnet said with a smirk. Amethyst huffed and crossed her arms, pouting.

"Screw you."

"Verbally assaulting an officer. That's another offense."

"Oh my god." Amethyst threw her arms up in exasperation.

Peridot is helping Rose and her family roll out the Twister mat, using Rose's old college textbooks to keep the mat from rolling up again.

"So Rose tells me everything went well." Greg commented after standing, leaning backwards with his hands on his lower back. He was just in his mid thirties, and old age was already getting to his body.

"Yeah, everything's just perfect." Peridot smiled widely, remembering all of the events that transpired in Amethyst's cell. "I talked about some stuff we did together in the orphanage and everything just.. Came back to her, piece by piece."

"I'm happy for you." Greg smiled kindly, taking a seat on the couch. Rose sat with her husband, nodding in agreement.

Steven looked up at Peridot, smiling even more widely than the blonde.

"I'm happy that you're happy." He said. "Do you wanna play with my plane with me?"

Peridot nodded, taking the hand that the boy offered.

"I'd love to."

* * *

After about thirty minutes of idle conversation between everyone, and with Steven running around excitedly, Peridot struggling to keep up with the boy, Rose stood and announced that she would like all who want to play to join in on a game of Twister while Greg starts up lunch.

"Who wants to play?" Rose asked. Amethyst and Ruby were the first to volunteer, being the most outgoing of the group. They had no problem stumbling over other people. Peridot followed soon after, jumping at the chance to do something normal for once. Games like this were pretty much banned in the rich life. Pearl, on the other hand, was a tad skeptical.

"I don't think I'll participate. I'd much rather watch."

"Aw, come on, P!" Amethyst attempted to change Pearl's mind. "You're like, the most flexible out of all of us with your ballet stuff. You'd crush us all."

"Which is precisely why I don't want to play." Pearl was pretty adamant with her decision. Amethyst just shrugged and gave up. It wasn't her fault if Pearl didn't wanna have fun.

And so the game was underway.

Pearl and Sapphire took turns using the spinner to give orders to the players, and Garnet is having a casual conversation with Rose while Greg cooks in the kitchen and Steven plays with his plane.

Of course, the game in question being Twister, it was only natural for calamity to ensue sooner or later.

"Left hand to Green." Pearl called out.

It was Amethyst's turn, and the positions of the players were already a little more than uncomfortable.

Ruby was unlucky enough to have her first three spins land on yellow, and her final spin forced her to contort her body to such an extent so that she could reach behind herself and put her right hand on red. It was naturally difficult, not to mention that Amethyst and Peridot's bodies were in the way. Ruby was the first to be 'out', to say the least. She stood from the mat and stood beside Sapphire.

Amethyst and Peridot found themselves being all over each other. Amethyst's arm is hooked under Peridot's leg to hit a blue, Peridot's leg is around Amethyst's neck to hit a green. It was definitely uncomfortable, and this is without mentioning that they're a couple.

But when Amethyst got the go to put her left hand on green, a wicked image played in her head. Without a second thought, she lifted her hand, hooked it around Peridot's leg, and placed her hand firmly on the seat of Peridot's green sweatpants.

The contact to her butt sent Peridot falling out of surprise. She ended up falling on top of Amethyst, and the two quickly worked to untangle themselves, Amethyst in a fit of laughter and Peridot just plain embarrassed.

Pearl pinched the bridge of her nose, sighing.

"Amethyst.. The mat. The green on the mat."

"She was on the mat." Amethyst reasoned, laughing through her teeth. Pearl took a deep breath again. What was one to do?

Ruby, and even Sapphire, laughed along with Amethyst.

Peridot sat up from the mat, rubbing her hair. Her glasses ended up falling from her face during the ordeal, so she had to pick them up again.

"Really, at least warn me first.." She said, cleaning her lenses with her shirt.

"But that takes the 'surprise' out of the surprise, Peri."

"Well if you're gonna surprise me like that.." Peridot leaned forward, whispering in Amethyst's ear so that Pearl, Sapphire, and Ruby wouldn't hear. "..I'd rather it be when we're alone."

Peridot pulled away and, pleased to see a blush on Amethyst's face, stood from the mat, stretching her arms.

"Lunch is ready!" Greg's voice was heard from the kitchen. Rose stood from the couch, calling back to her husband.

"Thanks, hun! We'll be in the dining room, okay?"

"You got it!"

Just then, a knock came from the front door.

"I got it!" Amethyst picked herself up from the Twister mat and made her way toward the door. As soon as she heard the knock, she assumed it had to be Vidalia. And her assumption was correct, as when she opened the door, the blonde, leather clad girl stood outside, just stomping out a cigarette.

"Hey, V, you're just in time. Greg just finished cooking."

Vidalia took a few seconds to process what her eyes were seeing. Amethyst was standing in Rose's doorway.. Out of prison.

"I thought you had a couple months in the slammer, girl.." Vidalia stated, completely dumbstruck. Amethyst shrugged.

"Garnet let me out just for today. You know, cuz of New Years."

"Badass." Vidalia smiled, making her way inside of the house when Amethyst stepped aside.

* * *

Everyone is now seated at the dining room table. Extra chairs had to be pulled up, but they were able to fit everyone in.

The lunch was homemade lasagna, and Greg already put portions on many different plates, carrying them out to everyone on a tray. He guessed that Vidalia was going to arrive, so he made an extra portion just in case. The group dug in.

Ruby and Sapphire sat beside each other for obvious reasons with Garnet on Ruby's other side, next to Greg, and they introduced themselves to Vidalia in much the same way they did with Pearl. Except they explained that they weren't related by blood first to avoid confusion, like last time.

Amethyst and Peridot sat beside each other and Vidalia sat on the opposite side of Amethyst. After introductions were over with between Vidalia and the youngest people in the room aside from Steven, who was in his mother's lap, Amethyst went off on her.

"Why the heck didn't you ever tell me you had a kid?!" She exclaimed after swalowing a mouthful of her food.

"It never came up." Vidalia said nonchalantly. "I mean, he wasn't the first thing on my mind during.. You know." Vidalia didn't want to say anything to specific for Steven's sake. Peridot, however, caught onto her words pretty easily. And despite everything, she couldn't help but feel a little jealous.. But she didn't say anything. It was in the past, after all. Amethyst was all hers, now.

"He's nine, V! I mean, seriously!"

"Look, I'll introduce you to him sometime, ok? Get off my back." Vidalia pretended to have her feelings hurt, even pushing Amethyst's shoulder, but her smile betrayed her act. She was having fun.

"Yeah, you do that." Amethyst smiled as well. It was good to see her best friend again.

"So what were you saying earlier, Amethyst?" Garnet asked from across the table.

Of course it was Garnet that brought up the subject. She would be the most curious about Amethyst's words coming through Rose's door. 'Used to be a hooker'? What did that mean?

"Oh that.." Amethyst struggled to find the right words. She actually put her fork down on her plate, and she stared at her food. Honestly, she's never had to do anything like this before.

What should she say first? That she and Peridot were a couple? That she planned on quitting her prostituting career? It was hard to even think about, now that the situation was right in front of her. Normally, it would be a good thing to quit prostitution. Some would see it as a step up, a good new start. But it's pretty much all Amethyst's ever known after the orphanage, so how was she supposed to act?

She looked up when she felt a hand on hers under the table. Turning her head to the owner of that hand, she found Peridot giving her a kind smile.

"Go on.."

Amethyst smiled back at her girlfriend appreciatively. Just two words.. But it was good enough. Especially coming from the girl who meant the world to Amethyst.

Amethyst turned back to the group at the table, who were all waiting patiently. Steven seemed to not be aware of the situation, as he was still stuffing his face with lasagna.

Taking a deep breath, Amethyst spoke.

"I'm done selling my body. Peridot and I are dating and I'm going to get a real job."

* * *

 **Author's Note: I only had like, 300 words made out for this chapter for almost a week, and suddenly inspiration comes to me and I add almost 3,000 words in a single night. I'm tired. -.- But anyway, I really liked writing this chapter, so I hope you guys enjoy this just as much. Like always, don't hesitate to leave a review. It would be greatly appreciated. :3**


	17. New Years Party (Part 2)

"Oh that's wonderful!"

Rose was the first to exclaim her happiness for her friend after a moment of silence. After her outburst, however, Ruby and Sapphire soon followed in congratulations.

"We knew you two were gonna get together someday." Ruby stated with a smug smile.

"It was just a matter of time." Sapphire added.

"You guys are dating?!" Steven yelled from his seat, stars in his eyes. He didn't really understand anything Amethyst said aside from that. Of course a boy his age wouldn't know or care about the circumstances of 'selling your body'. "That's great!"

Amethyst laughed and nodded while Peridot looked away with a sheepish smile. It felt good to the blonde girl, to be praised again. Even for such a small thing as to become the girlfriend of a beloved person like Amethyst.. It felt nice.

"I'm happy for you." Pearl said with sincerity, and Vidalia smiled in turn, rubbing the back of her neck.

"Yeah.. I've been thinking of settling down myself."

"No way." Amethyst scoffed in disbelief. "Did you find yourself a new bed warmer while I was in the slammer?"

"Nah, we're actually taking it slow." Vidalia rested her arms on the dining table after pushing her finished food to the side. "Name's Yellowtail. Sweet guy. Fisherman. He's babysitting Sour Cream while I'm here, but he's headed back out in a couple of days."

"He must make some good money." Greg commented. "Being a fisherman is hard work."

"I don't care about that.." Vidalia admitted, staring off into space. "The man treats me like a queen.. We met just a few days ago, but he goes all out on our dates. Says it's because he won't be able to see me often."

"Back up." Amethyst couldn't believe her ears. "You named your kid Sour Cream? Like.. The thing for tacos?"

"It was better than Marty Jr." Vidalia replied. "Besides, my name's a type of onion."

"Well yeah, but your name sounds cool, at least!" Everyone at the table laughed, even Vidalia. Her son's name was fairly odd.

"Anyway.." Amethyst continued after the laughter had died down. "Are you gonna be able to handle that kinda relationship? With your new man being gone so often?"

"It's better than how Marty treated me." Vidalia stated with authority. "That's all that matters."

"We're all happy for you." Garnet spoke up for the first time, congratulating Vidalia. "But Amethyst.." She turned her attention to the silver haired girl. "You know that even if you do quit what you do, settle down.. I can't let you out early."

"Yeah, I figured.." Amethyst knew not to get her hopes up. She was arrested for prostitution. Even if she quit after her arrest, she would still have to do the time.

"Can she go back tomorrow morning?" Peridot asked. She stayed silent through the entirety of the conversation until now because she felt as if she didn't have the right to congratulate Vidalia on her relationship. Even though she stayed in Amethyst's apartment for almost a week, Peridot still didn't know Amethyst's friends all too well. She was comfortable with Rose and Steven, and of course Ruby and Sapphire, but everyone else still seemed so distant.

"She can stay here tonight, for New Years, but she has to be back in her cell before noon tomorrow." Garnet answered Peridot without hesitation. She was a law enforcer first, and a friend second.

It was still hard for Peridot to think about it.. Her best friend now girlfriend is going back to her little cell in a little less than twenty four hours. But, at least Amethyst remembered her. She smiled at the thought, and Amethyst nudged her in the side with her elbow.

"Watcha smiling for, Peri?" Amethyst asked with a laugh. "You miss seeing me behind bars?"

"Oh yeah, totally." Peridot retorted, pointing her fork at Amethyst. "I can't wait to throw peanuts at you until you dance for me like a monkey."

The tension in the air that arose when Garnet spoke was gone now. The group laughed and continued conversing with one another as they ate.

After a few minutes, waiting for everyone to finish their meal, Rose stood from her chair and clasped her hands together.

"Alright." She started. "Who wants to play some karaoke?"

"I nominate Pearl!" Amethyst exclaimed. Pearl puffed up her cheeks as Rose chuckled and went around the table, collecting everyone's plates.

"Oh no, I'm not singing." Pearl protested.

"You wouldn't play Twister with us, so you gotta." Peridot retorted.

"I'm _**not**_ singing."

"Come on, Pearl." Ruby pressured.

"No!"

"Pearl, you can sing?" Steven asked, the same stars in his eyes as there were when he found out that Amethyst and Peridot were together. "Can I hear you sing?"

"I..."

Amethyst smirked at Pearl, knowing that she would never turn down a request from Steven. If she could make him happy, she would do anything.

"Alright.." Pearl finally caved, slumping her shoulders, a small smile on her face. "But I choose the song." She shot toward Amethyst.

"That's fair." The silver haired girl said, knowing that she won. Amethyst stood from her chair, making her way to the living room. Peridot quickly followed, almost a little too eagerly.

"She's so whipped." Ruby commented on how quickly Peridot followed Amethyst. It was as if she were a lost puppy following someone who fed her.

"I don't think so.." Sapphire commented. "I mean, she's went her whole life after the orphanage thinking that she would never see Amethyst again. Then she does see her again, but Amethyst didn't remember her." Sapphire placed her hand on Ruby's, holding it gently. "I'd follow you like that if you we were in their shoes."

"..I guess you're right." Ruby felt a bit ashamed of herself now, but she didn't let it get to her. Instead, she leaned in and kissed her girlfriend, smiling while looking into Sapphire's eyes. "I love you."

"I love you too, Ruby." Sapphire replied calmly, though her cheeks took a light color.

Greg, Pearl, Rose, and Steven made their way into the living room at this time, after Rose had collected the dishes, so it was just Garnet and her sisters in the dining room now. And Garnet.. well she was curious.

"Have you had sex yet?"

Ruby's face turned more red than her hoodie, and Sapphire's face glowed to match. They both turned to Garnet.

"Don't just blurt it out like that!" Ruby yelled.

"Why do you need to know anyway?!" Sapphire asked in exasperation.

"Just making sure you guys have a healthy sex life." Garnet answered with a chuckle. "So have you done it or not?"

"Even if we did, we wouldn't tell you!" Ruby argued. She was standing now, incredibly flustered.

"So that's a 'yes' then?"

Ruby couldn't even form words right now. She took Sapphire's hand and stormed from the dining room to the living room.

Garnet chuckled again and decided to sit alone for a while, give her sisters time to cool off. Being a big sister was fun.

* * *

Amethyst and Peridot are sitting together on the couch, cuddling like any new couple would. Rose and Steven are rolling up the Twister mat while Greg gets the karaoke machine ready.

The couple on the couch look up when Ruby and Sapphire walk in the room. Ruby angrily takes a seat on the couch, crossing her arms and mumbling something incoherent while Sapphire sat beside her, gently rubbing her back.

"Is she having one of her tantrums?" Amethyst asked Sapphire with a chuckle.

Ruby was about to make a retort, shaking her finger in Amethyst's face, but Sapphire spoke before her girlfriend even took a breath.

"I'd rather we drop the subject entirely." She stated in a cool voice. Amethyst let out a low whistle.

"Wow, something's got you both pissed.. Alright, I'll drop it."

"I don't think I've ever seen you mad, Sapphire." Peridot said, in awe at the fact that 'mad' was even in the usually calm girl's array of emotions. Sapphire just sighed and rested her head on Ruby's shoulder.

"I think we're more embarrassed than anything.."

Ruby wrapped her arm around Sapphire's shoulders, closing her eyes as she leaned her head back.

"Yeah.. Definitely embarrassed."

"It can't have been that bad." Amethyst insisted. "I mean, I don't think anything can top you wetting your bed back in the orphanage." Ruby smirked at the memory. Thinking back, it was pretty funny. Amethyst continued. "I mean, not unless Garnet asked you guys if you screwed each other yet."

Ruby opened her eyes wide again, about to blow up while Sapphire hid her blushing face in Ruby's shoulder, but she was cut off by the sound of the karaoke machine starting up.

Greg was tapping on the microphone, standing at the other end of the room. He was testing how clear the sound was when it came through the speakers on the machine. Satisfied with what he heard, he looked to the couch, which now occupied Garnet, Rose, and Steven as well as the two couples. He spoke into the mic.

"Good afternoon." He said confidently. Greg's history as a musician gave him incredible public speaking skills.

"I'm glad to have you all here, I really am." He started, looking everyone in the eyes in turn. "It's great to be here with my family, my old friends, and even my new friends. This year has been the best of my life so far, and it's thanks to everyone in this building right now." He paused, collected his thoughts, then continued. "Well, I guess I should say last year."

The group on the couch laughed, and Greg smiled. His voice became louder, more intense.

"Anyway, talking about how happy I am isn't what karaoke is for, am I right? So without further ado.." Greg paused, pointing toward the hallway that lead to the staircase up to the second floor. "Our main event, Pearl!"

Right on cue, Pearl came down the stairs. One might think that there would be some big reveal, that Pearl would look all glamorous and dolled up with Rose's help. But none of that happened.

Instead, Pearl, dressed in her usual yellow sweater and jeans, stormed up to Greg, red in the face, snatched the microphone from him, and whisper shouted at the man.

"I asked you not to make a big deal out of this!"

Greg shrugged and stepped away from the machine, joining his wife and son and everyone else on the couch.

Pearl put her face in her hand, thinking that this day couldn't possibly get more embarrassing. Taking a breath, she looked to all of her friends on the couch. The way everyone smiled at her, encouragingly.. It made her feel good.

"Ok, first of all.." She started, speaking into the microphone even though she didn't need to at the moment. "This doesn't leave this house."

"Our lips are sealed, P." Amethyst promised while everyone else laughed.

"Secondly.." Pearl continued. She smiled warmly, looking specifically at Amethyst and Peridot. "Congratulations on your relationship.."

"Oh my god, just sing!" Amethyst shouted, wrapping her arm around Peridot with a light blush on her face. She wasn't too embarrassed, but no one had actually ever told her that before. Peridot just enjoyed the closeness with Amethyst.. Thinking back, it was odd to move into a relationship so quickly after such a long time. But the circumstances were odd as well, so Peridot pushed that thought to the back of her mind.

"Alright, alright.." Pearl smirked, glad to get a little payback on her friend, even if it wasn't even that much. She turned to the karaoke machine. At her request, Greg had already put the song she wanted to sing in the machine. With the push of a button, a piano began to play a sweet melody.

Pearl took a deep breath, closing her eyes. Opening them again, she began to sing.

* * *

 _ **I look in your eyes and I can see**_

 _ **We've loved so dangerously.**_

 _ **You're not trusting your heart to anyone.**_

 _ **You tell me you're gonna play it smart,**_

 _ **We're through before we start.**_

 _ **But I believe that we've only just begun.**_

Pearl's performance became more animated. She began to move her body to the rhythm of the song, swaying back and forth to the slow melody. Gradually,

though, the song began to increase in speed.

* * *

 _ **When it's this good, there's no saying "no".**_

 _ **I want you so, I'm ready to go..**_

* * *

Pearl detached the microphone from the wire connected to the machine. Closing her eyes again, she sang with a much more confident voice. The group in front of her was speechless as she let the music pull her into a dance, as if she were the only one in the room.

* * *

 _ **Through the Fire, to the limit to the wall.**_

 _ **For a chance to be with you, I'd gladly risk it all!**_

 _ **Through the Fire, through whatever come what may..**_

 _ **For a chance at loving you, I'd take it all the way!**_

 _ **Right down to the wire..**_

 _ **Even Through the Fire..**_

Slowly, the music came to a halt, as did Pearl's dancing.

Pearl stood still, her eyes still closed as she awaited her verdict.

She could have sang the entire song, but she wanted to keep it short and sweet, to spend as least time on the 'stage' as possible.

The short silence that followed her song was deafening to Pearl. Though, Amethyst's outburst brought a little relief to her.

"Hello, America's Got Talent?"

Pearl opened her eyes to see Amethyst talking into a false phone, made with her pinky and thumb.

"I got golden material for you right in front of me."

"That was amazing!" Steven exclaimed, stars in his eyes as he stared at Pearl.

"Yeah, I'm a little jealous." Greg stated. Hearing the musician's opinion caused a light blush to rise in Pearl's cheeks.

"That was beautiful, Pearl." Rose complimented, smiling.

"I-it was nothing, really.." Pearl said bashfully, averting her eyes from everyone else to place the microphone back on it's wire, and back on the machine.

"Nicki Minaj and Stupid Hoe are nothing, P." Amethyst argued. "You got one hell of a voice."

A murmur of agreement came from everyone else, and Rose didn't even stop to scold Amethyst for her swearing around Steven. They were all that enamored with Pearl's song.

Pearl sighed, an almost sad smile on her face as she finally replaced the microphone.

"Yes, well.." She looked to the ground, gripping her arm. "I was singing before I started dancing.. My parents got me into music, but it wasn't for me. And now I don't even dance anymore.."

The somber tension that fell after Pearl spoke these words.. one could cut it with a knife. Of all things, no one expected Pearl to bring up her parents, not on a day like this.

"It's been almost two years since.. since then." Pearl whispered, barely audible.

No.. no! This wasn't what this New Years party was about. Amethyst stood from the couch, disentangling herself from Peridot, and walked to Pearl. She pulled her hand back and smacked Pearl right in her back.

"Come on, P, you're bumming us out!"

Pearl whirled around, ready to berate Amethyst for the rude interruption on her thoughts of her family. But when she saw Amethyst's wide smile.. Pearl couldn't help but feel happy.

The memory of cutting her dance recital short when she received the news, of seeing her parent's bodies being taken away in the ambulance.. It was certainly heart breaking. But after such a long time, and on this day, too.. Now was not the time to mourn.

"It's my turn to sing anyway." Amethyst continued. "So get out of my spotlight."

Pearl smiled and regained her composure. She huffed and crossed her arms, making her way to the couch. Pearl replaced Amethyst's place on the couch beside Peridot, though that sat a considerably larger distance from one another.

"Well, just make sure your performance is good enough to match mine, alright?" Pearl suggested cockily.

Amethyst nodded and, turning to the machine, picked her song.


	18. New Years Party (Finale)

The rest of the day was spent with everyone at the party taking turns to sing while the ones who didn't sing at the time conversed with each other.

Amethyst of course sang something far too crude for Steven's ears, so Peridot had to stand and kick her off the stage. Then Steven took her place, then Rose, then Greg, then Ruby and Sapphire sang a duet, and so on.

Everyone was having such a good time, clapping and cheering along to the beat of the music. It was as if everyone forgot that Amethyst was going back to jail the very next day.

Almost too quickly, the party started to come to an end. The first sign of this was when Vidalia got a call from Yellowtail during Garnet's song, and she left the room to talk to him in private. When Garnet finished her song, Vidalia came back in the room, apologizing to everyone. She had to go home because "her man", as she put it, needs to prepare to go out to sea the next day and she didn't want Sour Cream to be left alone.

"It's all good, V." Amethyst brushed away Vidalia's apology with a lazy wave of her arm from the couch. "Just be sure to visit me when I'm behind bars again, alright? You didn't come at all this past week."

"I'll put it in my schedule." The young mother promised, then looked to Peridot. Vidalia rubbed the back of her head, a little embarrassed. "Sorry about.. you know. Being a jerk."

Peridot smiled and shook her head.

"It's fine.. Honestly, you were justified."

Vidalia decided to leave it at that. She then turned to Rose, who was getting ready to sing another song.

"Thanks for having me over, Rose. I had a lot of fun."

"Come over any time, hun." Rose replied, smiling while punching in her song choice. "My family is always open to visitors."

"I'll be sure to drop by, then. I can't stay away from this little guy for too long anyway." Vidalia said this as she bent down, ruffling Steven's hair. He had went to stand beside Vidalia to say goodbye. "Maybe I'll bring my kid over. You guys could hang out."

"That sounds fun!" Steven said with a wide smile. "You think he'll play with me and my plane?"

"He'd love to." She then stood and turned to face the occupants on the couch once more. "It was nice meeting you." She said to Ruby and Sapphire.

"Likewise." The tomboy replied, and Sapphire nodded with a smile.

After that, Vidalia didn't have any more special goodbyes to say. With a quick farewell to Greg and Garnet, the young mother left the building.

This started a string of many people leaving the house.

Pearl had to leave to start the dinner shift at the soup kitchen, apologizing to everyone in much the same way Vidalia did.

Garnet had to go because of some files she needed to look through, and Ruby and Sapphire followed because they wouldn't have a ride otherwise. So now it was just Amethyst, Peridot, and Rose and her family.

Amethyst is sitting on the floor with her back against the couch, Peridot actually on the couch, her legs beside Amethyst. Steven sat in his mother's lap in an armchair across from the couch, practicing on a ukulele he received in one of his previous birthdays. Greg was in the process of putting the karaoke machine away as well as the Twister mat.

Peridot thought that this day was exhausting.. but fun. As she looked down at her girlfriend on the floor, who was in the midst of a conversation with Rose.

The girl in green could stare at Amethyst's face for ages.. She had the right to stare after hardly being able to during the day. Sure they spent time together, but it was during games and watching other people sing. Peridot hardly got time to keep Amethyst for herself.

But that would change eventually. The blonde went years without seeing her friend, so this little inconvenience was just that.

Aside from that, Peridot was glad to be able to sit here and enjoy the presence of her old friend.

Truth be told, when Peridot first found Amethyst with her silver dyed hair, her heart skipped a beat at the sight. Of course Peridot didn't know what she was feeling at the time, but that look.. It definitely suited the ex-prostitute.

The rich girl told her maid everything, excited that her friend was in New York. Lapis had listened intently, her smile bright as Peridot went on a rant about what the she and Amethyst did in the orphanage. Lapis had never seen Peridot so happy before, not since she first moved into the mansion.

Peridot would talk for hours, telling story upon story to her friend, so much that lapis would literally get physically tired from so many tales at once. When Lapis would tell Peridot this, the girl in green would wait in her room patiently until Lapis returned, then Peridot would continue talking. The maid wondered how her friend didn't tear her throat with all the words she spoke.

But now, Peridot didn't need to speak a word as she admired Amethyst's beauty. All she wanted to do was sit with the knowledge that she was with her old friend again, romantically even. And she couldn't be any happier than she is now.

"You alright, Peri? You're staring."

Peridot was pulled from her trance at the sound of Amethyst's voice. She was too busy admiring her girlfriend's features that she didn't notice Amethyst turn to her. She had a concerned look on her face.

"O-oh.. Yeah. Sorry." Peridot averted her eyes, a bashful smile on her face as she blushed.

Seeing Peridot's reaction, Amethyst realized exactly why her girlfriend was staring. She struck a pose, hand behind her head while puffing out her chest, one leg straight out in front of her where she sat while the other was bent.

"Like what you see, babe?" She asked, her voice in a slight, seductive slur.

Peridot scoffed and pushed Amethyst's shoulder. Still blushing, she scolded her girlfriend.

"Steven's right there with his mom, come on."

"Hey, he doesn't know what's up." Amethyst argued, climbing onto the couch. She wrapped an arm around Peridot's shoulder, another arm around her front, holding her waist. Amethyst kissed the blonde's cheek, and she couldn't help but relax and sit back in Amethyst's hold.

"But his mother does." Rose spoke in a scolding voice, shooting a glare toward the silver haired girl. Steven wasn't really paying attention to the things being said, plucking away at the strings on his ukulele, so Rose thought it would be okay to tell off her friend for her behavior. "You'd better leave all of your shenanigans behind closed doors."

"Not a bad idea, Rosy." Amethyst replied, practically purring as she held Peridot closer, almost smothering her. The blonde's face couldn't be brighter, and she averted her eyes from everyone in the room.

"We may be together now.." Peridot started, a playful smirk curling at the corner of her lip. "..but I don't think that doing anything 'behind closed doors' is going to happen while you're still a criminal."

"Aw, don't be a tease, Peri." Amethyst whined, cuddling up to her girlfriend, who crossed her arms.

"Being cute won't help you.. Not tonight at least." Peridot said with authority, though smiling bashfully.

"So there will be another night?" Amethyst whispered, her face close to Peridot's, her breath hot on the blonde's neck. It was hard for Peridot to _not_ feel a little hot and bothered. Rose chuckled at the couple's actions.

She was so happy that her dear friend found someone to love on her own. Amethyst's life, up to this point, has been Hell. No matter how the ex-prostitute tried to sugar coat it, that line of work, in this day and age, was incredibly difficult on the worker.

The worry of being caught on a corner with her leg out, the pressure to make sure her customer is one hundred percent satisfied, the agonizingly meager amount of money she received during her work, it was all too stressful for a girl of Amethyst's age.

Rose knew this because of her hair.

When Amethyst first arrived in New York, she looked for an apartment, knowing that the city would be too risky to do the odd job for random people. She stayed with Vidalia first when they first met, at least for a couple nights, and with the money she earned from prostitution, she dyed her hair. This was a few months ago, and Rose knew that Amethyst hasn't re-dyed her hair since.

The silver hair should have faded out by now. At the very least, Amethyst's roots should be showing through her hair growth. But in those months, living the way she does, the stress was immense for the nineteen year old girl. In that time, her hair naturally became gray due to an insane amount of stress.

Rose doesn't think that Amethyst even realizes this, though. She's so into her own world of pleasure and charity that she probably doesn't notice anything that might be wrong with her body, let alone her hair.

But now, as Rose watched Amethyst tease Peridot, she knew that everything would be fine. Amethyst was going to quit being a prostitute, and she was going to get an actual job in society.. that is, if she could get a job, with her reputation. Rose wasn't worried about that, though. Everyone in New York thought that Amethyst was an angel.

Rose was brought from her thoughts when Amethyst retreated from Peridot and stood from the couch, stretching her arms above her head.

"As much as I love hanging out with you, Rose.." Amethyst started, placing her hands on her hips. "..I really miss my own bed."

"Well don't let me keep you." Rose replied, chuckling as Steven practically ran from his mother's lap, hopping off the chair to run toward Amethyst. He left his ukulele with his mother.

"Ame, you're leaving?" Steven asked, staring up at one of his favorite people in the world. His fists were balled in front of him, like most children usually did when something happened they didn't like. Amethyst nodded, smiling apologetically.

"'Fraid so, little guy." She bent down, ruffling Steven's hair. "It won't be for forever, though. I'll always come back to see you, no matter how long it takes, k? So don't worry about it."

Peridot watched in wonder from the couch as Steven's sad expression turned to one of joy and acceptance. Normally, just the words that Amethyst used wouldn't be enough to calm down a saddened child. But Amethyst and Steven weren't like most people in this world.

But Peridot would get into that another time.

Right now, she smiled up at her girlfriend, who's hand was held for her to take, to help her up from the couch. Steven was back in his mother's lap after hugging Amethyst goodbye, playing with his ukulele now.

The last time someone held a hand out to her like this, Peridot was being adopted. At the time, she was terrified of that hand. She was diving into a new world, full of things she's never experienced before.

But now, the hand in front of her was familiar. It held a kind essence, a feeling that Peridot remembered only from the orphanage.

This gesture was small, but to Peridot, it meant the world.

With a genuine smile that she's still getting used to after such a long time, she took the hand in front of her.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Sorry for the long wait and the mediocre chapter. I've been having a bit of writer's block.**

 **I'm sure that some of you guys are probably a little annoyed with the lack of actual Amedot moments in the last few chapters, but it's hard to make them the center of attention at a party for everyone. Don't worry though, because I can guarantee that the next chapter is going to be solely based around Amethyst and Peridot.**

 **I hope you enjoyed this New Year's bash that's long overdo, and as always, so long for now.**


	19. Alone at Last (And an Important Message)

"I'd say "Welcome", but you've been living here for the past week."

Amethyst said this as she opened the door to her apartment, having received her keys from Peridot beforehand. The two enter the apartment, Amethyst's arms raised above her head in a stretch, fingers interlocked. Peridot's hands are in her sweat pants pockets while she kicks her shoes off at the door.

"Yeah, keeping your bed warm is hard work."

Amethyst turns to face Peridot as the blonde girl closes the door. Before Peridot could have the chance to turn from the door of her own accord, Amethyst grabs her girlfriend by the arm and turns her around, placing her other hand on the back of her head, forcing their mouths together.

Peridot's eyes went wide. They had barely taken a few steps through the door, and Amethyst was already pushing her tongue through Peridot's lips.

The silver haired girl pulled away before Peridot could do anything to react, leaving her girlfriend with a dazed look on her face. Amethyst chuckled and turned, heading toward her room.

Peridot could do nothing but stand there in a stunned daze. It was safe to say that she did not expect her girlfriend to play with her tongue so soon through the door. The blonde only came out of her reverie at the sound of Amethyst's voice from her bedroom.

"You coming, Peri?"

"Uh-huh.." Peridot replied dumbly, following Amethyst into the bedroom.

As she rounds the corner to stand in the doorway, Peridot's jaw almost dropped at the sight that greeted her. Amethyst had already shed her shoes and socks, taking place on the floor with her pants. She sat on the bed in just her underwear and her purple sweatshirt, but she even stretched one side of the shirt down to reveal her shoulder and tank top strap. Leaning on an arm, her other hand resting on her hip, she greeted her girlfriend.

"Hey babe.." Amethyst whispered alluringly. "Took you so long?"

Peridot felt as if she were in a trance. She stepped forward, slowly, toward her girlfriend. Amethyst shifted in position, getting on her hands and knees, head tilted up to welcome Peridot's warm kiss. The blonde bent down and took Amethyst's face in her hands, and just before their lips touched, Peridot shoved her girlfriend on the bed, away from her.

"Get a shower, Amethyst.." Peridot says, her voice nasally as she pinches her nose. "You smell like shit."

"Ugh, you bitch!" Amethyst laughed as she grabbed a pillow from behind her, tossing it at Peridot.

"Don't you "bitch" me!" Peridot smacked the pillow from the air, pointing toward the bathroom through the doorway with a laugh. "You've been in that cell for a week, smell terrible, and if you want me to kiss you, you are going to get clean."

Amethyst pouted and stood from the bed. She made her way out of the bedroom, but stopped at the doorway, turning her head to look back at Peridot. "You know, join me and we can get more dirty instead?"

"Get your ass in there!" Peridot was having nothing of it. Amethyst stuck her tongue out at her girlfriend and continued on toward the shower.

The rich girl groaned and fell on the bed, covering her reddening face with her hands. She couldn't believe Amethyst was being like this. Not five minutes through the door and she was already soliciting herself for sex. Of course she couldn't really be blamed. Amethyst's been a prostitute for several months, it became part of her lifestyle.

But she no longer had the need to do that anymore.. Amethyst quit prostituting, so she no longer has to put herself out as a sex object.

Maybe Peridot is just overthinking things. Maybe Amethyst is just happy to be able to relax in her own home, naturally flirtatious. Perhaps she really just wants to have sex for her own benefit.

But Amethyst has never allowed her clients to pleasure her. She only did the pleasuring. It was impossible for her to change that in such a short amount of time after quitting prostitution, to allow herself to partake in pleasures her partner would want to give to her.

Peridot thought and thought, sighing into her hands when she heard the noise of the shower starting. Amethyst had already gotten undressed in the time Peridot took to think.

The rich girl sits up on the bed, using her arms to prop herself up. It was hard to think honestly, when everything happened so fast. So many events in just a little more than a week. One would think that it would take months and a really bad day for Peridot to be where she is now, dating a convict. Of course it's more complicated than that, but still.

The events that lead to this moment were mismatched, odd. So many things could have gone better, Peridot could have done so much better to resolve the situation. But that didn't matter anymore.

As the rich girl stared off into space, she thought about what her mother said. That she would accept her daughter no matter her sexual orientation, that she would be supportive. That meant a lot.

Yellow Diamond showed compassion and understanding.. a couple of traits that Peridot missed since being adopted. Of course Jasper and Lapis treated her like an actual part of the family. Really, they acted more like sisters to each other than best friends, or "fun buddies" considering Jasper and Lapis' relationship.

There is that old saying, 'Speak of the devil and he shall appear.' Or rather, think of the devil in this case. Peridot's smart phone buzzed in her pocket and, taking it, the blonde girl answered.

"Hello?" She asked, mentally reprimanding herself for not looking at the caller on her screen. A giddy voice answered from the other side.

 _"Heeeyy Peri~."_ Lapis' voice was slurred, and Peridot could barely make out what she was saying. _"Hap.. happy.._ _The fuck was it again..?_ _"_ Lapis' voice became muffled, and Peridot could only assume that her friend was drunk, and asking Jasper what the day was. Peridot couldn't help the smile appearing on her face.

"Happy New Years, Lapis. Are you drunk? You're still under age you know."

Lapis hiccupped over the phone, giggling wildly. _"Nooooo... you're drunk.."_ _"Babe, you're drunk. Gimme the phone."_

There was a little bit of scuffling on the other end of the phone. The next voice she heard was Jasper's, tired, but satisfied.

 _"Hey, Miss Diamond. Happy New Years."_

"Took you guys long enough to call." Peridot replied sarcastically. "Did you guys have sex all day or something?"

 _"Yup."_

"Oh my god.." Peridot didn't actually expect an answer. "Don't actually tell me that!"

Jasper just laughed. _"You asked, your majesty. I work for you, remember?"_

"Whatever.. So did you guys get together? I kinda forgot to ask during all of my drama."

 _"Yeah, we're a thing."_ Jasper's voice grew excited, happy even. Peridot was starting to feel happy for her friend herself. _"Lapis said she was surprised I didn't ask sooner. I took her out and we ate at a Chinese buffet. After we stuffed ourselves, we went to hang out in your room and play some of your games. Hope you don't mind."_

"As long as you washed my sheets and made your own save file on Portal, I don't care."

 _"We didn't fuck in your bed, Peridot. Really, we didn't have sex at all. Not until this morning."_

Peridot scoffed, obviously disbelieving. "The day you don't have your fingers between Lapis' legs is the day I whore myself out for money."

"You know, I take offense to that."

Peridot looked up to see Amethyst standing in the doorway to the room. A towel was wrapped around her curvaceous body, barely doing anything to cover her breasts. Amethyst's hair was still wet, water dripping onto the carpet below her feet. The blonde girl on the bed couldn't do anything but stare.

 _"Miss Diamond, are you still there?"_

Apparently, Peridot had stared at Amethyst for so long and so intently that Jasper's words of retort to the blonde girl's previous statement fell on deaf ears. When Peridot finally heard Jasper's voice, she nearly panicked.

"Y-yeah!" She replied, almost too loudly into the phone. Amethyst chuckled and walked over to her closet, opening the sliding door to get at her clothes. "Hey, can.. Can I call you back tomorrow?"

Jasper's voice became concerned for her employer. _"Is everything okay? Should I come get you?"_

"No no, I'm fine. Just.." Peridot's voice trailed as Amethyst let her towel fall from her body. Her glistening skin and gorgeous ass were exposed to her girlfriend, and she acted like she didn't even care as she sifted through the shirts hanging in her closet.

 _"If you don't tell me what's going on, I'm coming to bring you home."_

"Oh, no, you don't have to do that Jasper, really." Peridot couldn't focus under these conditions. She stood from her bed and, trying to avoid eye contact with her oh so gloriously nude girlfriend, made her way out of the room. She practically ran down the hallway, turned the corner into the living room, and leaned against the wall so that she couldn't see into Amethyst's room. "Just.. Gimme a minute okay?" Peridot asked.

 _"Alright.."_ Jasper seemed skeptical, of course. She was bound to worry about her friend. The fact that Peridot was the daughter of the woman who wrote Jasper's paychecks had nothing to do with her worry... well, maybe just a little. _"Are you out of breath?"_

"Little bit, yeah.." Peridot clutched at her chest, steadying her breathing. That stupid, damned, sexy Amethyst. "I'm good. I'm fine."

 _"Alright, so what's up?"_ _"Hey, lemme talk to Peri, babyyy~"_ Lapis' voice could be heard, still in a drunken stupor. _"No sweetie, just go lay down, okay?"_ Jasper declined lovingly, followed by a disapproved grunt from Lapis.

"Everything went great with Amethyst." Peridot said suddenly, in one breath. "She's out of jail for now, has to go back tomorrow, she remembers me, spending the night together in her apartment, might have sex I have no idea, can I call you back tomorrow please?"

There was a stunned silence following Peridot's little outburst. After a few seconds of this silence, of Jasper's brain catching up to what was told to her, she finally responds.

 _"Oh, yeah.. Sure. I'll let Lapis know everything when she's sobered up. You have fun. Don't do anything I wouldn't do."_

"You're the best, Jasper.." Peridot sighed, relieved that her chauffeur, understood the situation. "I'll call you back tomorrow, some time after Amethyst gets back to her cell. Okay?"

 _"Sounds good. Have a goodnight."_

"You too.. and happy New Years." Then Jasper disconnected the call.

As Peridot put her phone back into her pocket, taking a deep breath, only one thought crossed her mind. Was Amethyst still naked?

The blonde could feel her face was red, more so than it has been in her entire life. Amethyst was just so nonchalant about being naked.. Then again, she'd have to be in her previous line of work.

Peridot sidled along the wall, toward the hallway that lead to Amethyst's room. She was actually afraid that Amethyst would still be nude. If the ex prostitute was naked, Peridot believes that she doesn't know what she'd do. It would be so amazing, but also so incredibly embarrassing. But why would she be embarrassed? Peridot saw her girlfriend topless even before they got together, when Amethyst was still a prostitute.

She didn't want to let a little embarrassment keep her from having fun. Peridot took another deep breath and turned the corner, heading into Amethyst's bedroom.

Amethyst herself has made herself comfortable on her bed. She lay spread eagle on her back, her eyes closed, wearing just a pair of purple panties and a black sports bra. Hearing Peridot enter the room, she opened her eyes and smiled.

"Hey, Peri." Amethyst greeted, sitting up on the bed, crossing her legs under her. "Did I interrupt something earlier?"

Peridot smiled back. At least Amethyst was more clothed this time.. The blonde took a seat beside her girlfriend, taking one of Amethyst's hands in hers. "No. No, you didn't interrupt anything. I was just surprised."

"Yeah, sorry 'bout that." Amethyst apologized, rubbing the back of her head with her free hand. "I forgot you were new to being around naked people."

"It's fine.." Peridot's face cooled down from her embarrassment earlier, though it was still a light shade of pink. She felt bashful, rubbing her thumb over the back of Amethyst's hand. "I didn't exactly mind."

Amethyst chuckled began to fall back on the bed. Slowly, she pulled Peridot on top of her, staring her girlfriend in her wide, beautiful eyes behind those glasses.

"I missed you, Dottie.." Amethyst whispered, gently rubbing the back of Peridot's shirt. The blonde girl could only nod in response, her voice lost to her.

Slowly, polar opposites closed the gap between them as they shared their first tender kiss of the evening.

* * *

 **Author's Note: I apologize for the lack of updates in my stories recently. There was a death in the family a few weeks ago, and that threw me off edge. But in light of the Steven Universe hiatus finally coming to an end, I decided to continue my writing. I also decided to inform you on the story I intend to be working on after every new chapter. So be on the lookout for the next chapter of "Hell Hath no Fury", coming either near the end of this week, or the beginning of the next.**

 **PS: I totally called it. In chapter 6 of my Pearlmethyst story "When Love Has Come to Fruition", I made it so that Steven bubbled the Cluster, just like in the show. Well, not exactly like in the show, but the end result is the same. Part of me hopes that a member of the Crewniverse came across my story and took that idea from it, but I sincerely doubt it. Either way, it's pretty amazing.**


	20. A Night to Themselves

Peridot and Amethyst enjoyed this kiss immensely.

For the first time, neither of them had any worry, any obligation.

Peridot is kissing her old friend from her orphanage, a friend she thought she had lost forever. When she found that friend, she was ecstatic, only to realize that her friend didn't remember her at all. But now that friend was her girlfriend, her memories returned to her, her love unbound.

Amethyst is kissing someone who was a complete stranger to her less than twenty four hours ago. This rich girl came into her life and hired her as a prostitute, wanting to lose her virginity. Amethyst thought nothing of it, as it was her job, but when she realized that she actually knew the rich girl who stooped so low as to hire a whore, she felt absolutely terrible. She wanted to do everything to remember this girl, to remember what they shared together in the orphanage. Then she remembered, reminiscing about their old antics as they sat in her cell.

These two girls allowed themselves to get lost in passion. Lord knows they deserve it.

Peridot pulled away from Amethyst, her breath heavy even though the couple really hasn't done anything yet. She was still new to this 'sex' thing, if that is what's happening. She stared down at Amethyst, who's eyes were full of love and patience. The ex-prostitute cupped Peridot's cheek in her hand.

"You alright?" Amethyst asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Peridot nodded. In reality, she's been more alright than she's ever been, at least since leaving the orphanage. "Never better.. Just hard to breathe when we do that."

"You're breathing through your nose, right?" Amethyst asked, her lips curled up into a smirk.

"You can do that while kissing?" The laugh that followed Peridot's question caused the blonde's face to heat up in a blush. She sat up, straddling Amethyst as she yelled, hands on her hips. "Don't laugh at me, you're my first kiss!"

Amethyst struggled to get her laughter under control, but when she finally did, she apologized, wiping a tear from her eyes. "S-sorry, babe." She said through light chuckles. "You're just so cute!"

"I am so _not_ cute." Peridot denied, crossing her arms in a huff. This only furthered Amethyst's point. Giggling, the ex-prostitute began to rub her hands up and down Peridot's sides, slipping her thumbs under the hem of the sweater she wore.

"You know.." Amethyst started, her voice lower, sultry. She pulled up the purple sweater just enough for Peridot to realize what she was doing."..I think I want my sweater back."

Peridot couldn't help but smirk down at her girlfriend. She uncrossed her arms and removed her glasses, first of all. Handing them to Amethyst, who reached to the side and set them on her nightstand, Peridot crossed her arms in front of her and removed Amethyst's sweater. Peridot tossed the fabric to the side of the bed, now just in a black tee shirt as a top.

Joking aside, the blonde girl leaned forward on her girlfriend once again to resume their make out session. Tongue quickly came into play, both the girls' moans drowning each other out. Amethyst's hands climbed up the back of Peridot's shirt to play with her bare back, sending shivers up the blonde's spine. Peridot returned the favor, going so far as to stimulate the silver haired girl's breasts through her bra.

This pleasure, however, was extremely short lived.

Amethyst pulled Peridot's face away from hers, letting out a groan of annoyance. "God fucking dammit.."

The blonde looked at Amethyst with a confused expression, worried even. Had she done something wrong? "..You okay?" She asked timidly.

"Yeah, I'm fine.." Amethyst sighed and gently pushed Peridot from on top of her. She stood from the bed, rubbing the back of her head, other hand at her hip. "I forgot I was on my fucking period."

"Oh.. Yeah, I heard that was a mood killer." Peridot almost laughed. She was worried because she thought she had done something to kill Amethyst's sex drive.

"Yeah, real tragic, right Peri?" Amethyst groaned again and made her way to the bathroom. Peridot watched her go, sorry that the only time Amethyst would be able to enjoy physical pleasure for almost two months was ruined by Mother Nature.

"Need me to grab you some underwear?" Peridot called from the room. Amethyst yelled back in reply.

"Nah, it ain't that bad. Thanks though!"

It was odd, Peridot thought. That things could change so.. Quickly. One second, the rich girl was on the phone with her maid and chauffeur, another second and she's making out with her girlfriend, and now that girlfriend of hers is looking for something to stop the blood from between her legs.

As Peridot pondered how quickly time could really pass by, her phone began to buzz yet again. She took the device from her pocket, and looking at the contact, answered the phone with a smile.

"Hello mother." She greeted with a cheery tone, her legs crossed under her on the bed.

 _"You sound happier than usual."_ Yellow Diamond commented, her own voice low, tired.

Peridot could barely contain her excitement. "I am. I took your advice, and.. Amethyst and I are together." Amethyst returned to the room, still looking pissed, but seeing Peridot on the phone with such a smile brought one to her own face. She sat beside her girlfriend, kissing her cheek as she wrapped and arm around her waist. Other than that, Amethyst didn't say a word.

 _"I told you everything would work out. I should hope she's not still putting herself out for strangers."_

"No, she quit all of that." Peridot quickly brushed her mother's fears aside.

 _"So yours will be the only bed she occupies?"_

Peridot could feel her face heating up at the question. It may just be her overactive imagination, but did her mother really ask if they were going to have sex? "Well if it comes to that.. Yes."

 _"Good. Is she there with you at the moment?"_

"Well, yes, bu-"

 _"Let me speak with her."_ It wasn't a request.

With a sigh and slightly shaky hands, Peridot held the phone from her ear, for her girlfriend to take. "It's my mom.." She explained, holding her thumb over the receiver. "Please try to be professional."

"Of course." Amethyst agreed. Though, as she took the phone, she just couldn't possibly resist a certain temptation. She stood from the bed, standing more than arm's length away from Peridot so as she couldn't take the phone away, and spoke. "Yello?"

Peridot's world almost shattered. Staring up at Amethyst, who was grinning ear to ear, she couldn't believe that her girlfriend would make such a stupid joke after specifically being told not to do so. She hid her face in her hands, falling backwards on the bed. There was no way that her mother was going to approve of Amethyst now.

Amethyst ignored Peridot's despair and continued speaking into the phone after Yellow Diamond's reply. "Yeah, I thought that would be a good ice breaker."

Peridot groaned. Her mother must have asked if Amethyst's greeting was a quip to her name. And Amethyst confirmed it! She could already feel the rage that is Yellow Diamond.

Something loud did come from the phone, but it didn't sound like angry yelling. In fact, the sound was repetitive, and high pitched. Peridot dared to peek through her fingers, and was surprised to find Amethyst still smiling, giving her a thumbs up. It was impossible.. Did Amethyst's idiotic banter actually entertain the wealthy aristocrat? Was Yellow Diamond laughing?

"Sure, just a sec." Amethyst's attention was turned toward the phone again. She held the device away from her head, staring dumbly at the screen.

"What are you doing?" Peridot asked in a whisper.

"Trying to figure out how to turn the speaker on." Amethyst relied just as quietly, sticking out her tongue in concentration. Peridot sighed and stood from the bed. She came to stand beside her girlfriend and pressed the button on the screen in the shape of a microphone.

"You're on speaker, mom." She informed her mother, returning to her seat on the bed.

 _"Did your friend not know how?"_

"A whore's salary really isn't the best, Ms. D." Amethyst commented, taking a seat beside her girlfriend, who feel into yet further despair at Amethyst's casual dialogue with her mother. The ex-prostitute held the phone in front of her so that both she and Peridot could talk into it without any trouble. "I don't own a phone. I'm gonna be getting an actual job, though, so I'll be able to afford one comfortably in the next couple of months."

 _"I wouldn't mind loaning you a few thousand, you know."_

Peridot chuckled dryly. "You're wasting your breath. The only way Amethyst will ever take money that she didn't earn is if it's forced down her throat."

 _"Well that's certainly a good mindset."_ The woman on the phone commented. _"It seems like my daughter's in good hands."_

"What, that's it?" Peridot asked, surprised that her mother didn't press Amethyst any further for information.

"I don't think so." Amethyst answered for Yellow Diamond. Then she addressed a question to the woman herself. "Is it, Ms. D?"

 _"No."_ The woman confirmed. _"I would like to ask you more questions about what you intend to do with my daughter, to make sure you're safe, but it's barely dawn here in Italy, and I must get ready for a meeting. For now, I'll trust you. When I return to New York, I'll want to talk to you face to face."_

"Well I still have a couple of months of jail time. You'll find me in the police department on Plaza Path. Know where it is?"

 _"I'm sure my driver knows the area. And Peridot?"_

"Yes?" The blonde was surprised that things were going this well so far. She almost pissed herself when directly addressed by her mother.

 _"I love you."_

Peridot smiled. She could barely contain her relief, let alone her growing adoration for her foster mother. Yellow Diamond, ruthless business woman and cunning aristocrat, really came through when she needed to. "Love you too, mom." Then the line was cut, the dial tone sounding throughout Amethyst's bedroom.

"Well she's nice." Amethyst commented, handing Peridot's phone back to her. The blonde practically snatched the phone away from her girlfriend, yelling at her in pent up frustration while pushing her with her other hand.

"I told you to be professional! What the fuck did you think you were doing?!"

"I couldn't help myself, Peri!" Amethyst laughed in reply. She knew Peridot wasn't going to stay mad at her. "She seemed to like it."

"You got lucky!" Peridot was smiling now, unable to hide her amusement passed her anger. "My mom was just in a good mood. Any other time and she would've banned you from being within a hundred feet of me."

Amethyst's laughter died down as she lay back on her bed. She found it hard to believe that Peridot's mother could be as uptight as the blonde made her out to be. "Have you ever actually asked her for anything?"

"Yeah.." Peridot thought, putting a finger to her chin. "I asked her to keep the microwave, and to keep my room as simple as possible, and.." Her voice trailed off.

Peridot realized that she really never did ask for anything. When she was told to attempt to prove Fermat's Last Theorem, she got to work without a second thought, even after failing multiple times. When she was told to learn and play Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata from memory, she did so within a week without rest, and without complaint. Everything Peridot has done was without question, without a hint of disobedience, as if she were a well oiled machine.

Why was this? Why did she allow herself to be put through so much stuff that she didn't want to do? Peridot lay beside Amethyst, staring at the ceiling. If she had once said 'No' to her mother during her education with her, would she have allowed Peridot her freedom? Was it Peridot's fault for not being able to live the life of a normal teenager?

"I don't blame you.." Amethyst whispered, as if she read her girlfriend's mind. Peridot turned her head to see Amethyst with her hands clasped together over her stomach, also staring at the ceiling. "I mean, if you were really as attached to me back then, when you left.. It would have crushed you as much as it crushed me when you left."

"It did hurt." Peridot confirmed. "I... I watched the orphanage through the window of the limo I was taken in. I tried to see you through the window, see if you were watching me leave, but you weren't there."

Amethyst chuckled, though she was obviously not in the mood to do so. It was dry, forced. "I'm sorry.."

"For what?" Peridot asked, turning her body so that she was laying on her side, using her arm as a makeshift pillow.

"I forgot about you as soon as you walked out the door." Amethyst admitted, stealing a glance at Peridot to find a reaction. There wasn't one. Amethyst continued, looking at the ceiling again. "When you hugged me, I couldn't breathe. I was just so.. broken. My best friend was leaving me, the only person I really got along with like a sister.. Like a crush."

This little bit of information did catch a reaction from the blonde.

"You had a crush on me back then?"

"You were either really dumb or I was really good at hiding it." Amethyst confirmed. She turned on her side as well, facing Peridot. Seeing her girlfriend listen to her with such interest and no scorn whatsoever felt good. "I think it started when you helped me study English when Alex couldn't get through to me."

"We just had to find the right system for you." Peridot commented. Amethyst grinned, mimicking Peridot and her arm pillow.

"Yeah, it was a pretty stupid reason to start liking you, now that I think about it.. Maybe if I didn't like you, if I didn't forget you, I'd be somewhere else in the world."

"Then I really would have never seen you again." Peridot inched closer to Amethyst, slowly closing the distance between them. As Peridot got closer, Amethyst put a hand on her girlfriend's waist. She nodded in agreement with Peridot's words.

"All thing's considering, we're in a pretty good spot."

"It'll be an even better spot when you get out of jail."

"You know I was gonna let you pop my cherry tonight. Damn Mother Nature got in the way, though."Amethyst commented.

Peridot got a little smirk on her face, cupping Amethyst's cheek in her hand. "Are you serious? With all you told me about being the Santa Clause of sex, it's kinda hard to believe you'd let me do that so easily."

"Peri, I lost the few greatest years of my life when I forgot you existed." Amethyst pulled Peridot closer to her, their bodies touching now. "Getting that back with all the stuff you've done for me this past week.. I'd let you do everything to me if you wanted to."

Peridot was the first to close the distance between their lips. Only small kisses, innocent. But it was good enough for the both of them. Staring in each other's eyes was just as good as any amount of making out.

"I love you.." Peridot whispered afterward, burying her face in the crook of Amethyst's neck.

"I love you too, Dottie." Amethyst replied, closing her eyes with Peridot in her arms.

No more words were said that night. Before Amethyst would go back to her cell the next morning, these girls want to enjoy the time they have left to just enjoy each others hold. The next month and a half was going to be torture for the couple.

* * *

 **Author's Note: If you follow my story "Love Is Weird", then you must think I'm a dirty dirty liar. I'm sorry for not getting this chapter out when I said I would. I've decided to not put time stamps to my stories, because I don't know when my plans are going to change.**

 **Anyway, I liked writing this chapter. I hope you guys liked reading it. Be on the lookout for the next chapter of "When Love Has Come to Fruition", where Lapis is going to make her first appearance! There will be a time skip sort of thing, much like I did when I introduced Peridot to the story. I hope I leave you all in great anticipation. So long for now.**


	21. Imprissoned and Soup

"You sure you don't want me to bail you out?" Peridot asked Amethyst.

The couple is walking down the street, Peridot once again wearing her glasses, with her green sweatpants and one of Amethyst's purple sweaters. The ex-prostitute is also wearing a purple sweater, but with black sweat pants instead of green. Both of their hands were in their pockets, except for one of Peridot's, which held a plastic bag full of fresh clothes and bathroom supplies. They would hold hands as they walked, but it wasn't such a good idea when it was still Winter in the middle of New York. To top of the cold weather, it also started to snow.

"You know what they say, Peri. Don't do the crime if you can't do the crime."

"Literally no one says that anymore." Peridot retorted, smirking at the old saying from the 60's.

"The point is, I gotta do the time." Amethyst stated, smiling. "I whored myself out for a few months, became popular, and finally got arrested. Shouldn't have done the crime."

"I honestly think it's a stupid law." Peridot scoffed. "I mean, it would be porn if you filmed it, and that's not illegal."

"Are you saying I have the right to keep fucking strangers?" Amethyst asked.

"Oh no, I'd still want you to stop since we got together." Peridot replied, shaking her head. "I just don't think you should have gotten in trouble for it. You did a lot for people."

"Yeah, I did.. Still." Amethyst pulled a hand from her pocket and wrapped her arm around Peridot's. She lay her head on the blonde's shoulder as they walked, sighing. "It feels kinda good being tied down."

"I'm glad you think so.." Peridot turned and kissed the top of Amethyst's head. They both laughed and decided to enjoy the rest of their walk to the police station in silence.

It wasn't too long before the station came into view, though. Though the couple felt as if time stood still for them as they walked, when they finally came to their destination, it felt like mere seconds passed by.

"I'll be sure to visit you.." Peridot whispered, unable to keep the sadness from her voice. They stopped walking when they reached the front of the police station, and Amethyst turned to her girlfriend, taking Peridot's hands in hers.

"Don't do this again." Amethyst commanded. "We already went through enough water works when I first came here."

"I-I know, but.." Peridot couldn't help herself. Despite smiling at the sight of Amethyst's beautiful, strong face, the blonde started to cry. "It's been a crazy fucking week.."

"Yeah, it was." Amethyst took Peridot's face in her hands, gently wiping the blonde's tears away with her thumbs. "I'll be out before you know it, babe."

Peridot nodded. She knew this would be different. Back then, Amethyst's memory of Peridot was still lost. The ex-prostitute considered the rich girl a stranger, then a new friend. That was all she was. But now Amethyst was going to enter her cell with her old memories, knowing that the girl she had fallen for was her best friend from the past.

"I love you." Peridot whispered. Amethyst chuckled and leaned in, giving her girlfriend a quick peck to her lips.

"Love you too, Dottie." She said after pulling away. Amethyst took the bag Peridot held, turned, and made her way up the stairs, through the doors of the police department.

Peridot could already feel the cold replacing the warmth that Amethyst left on her lips. With a sigh and a longing look at where the ex-prostitute once stood, Peridot began her walk back towards Amethyst's apartment.

* * *

"Mornin' G!" Amethyst greeted her police woman friend, Garnet, who sat at her desk on the left side of the room. Garnet looked up from the papers she was looking over and smiled at the ex-prostitute.

"It's actually passed noon. You're late, Amethyst."

"Aw shit, really?" Amethyst looked behind her up at the large analog clock that rested above the double doors of the police department. Sure enough, the minute hand rested on the big number five, and the hour hand rested somewhere between the twelve and the one. Amethyst turned back to Garnet, a sullen, almost scared look on her face. "You're not gonna keep me here longer, are you?"

"Not if you can give me a good enough reason why you're late." Garnet challenged, standing from her desk.

"I was, uh.." Amethyst hated thinking under pressure, especially in this situation. On one hand, she wanted to make up this cock and bull story about how she saved a little girl from being run over by a car. On the other hand, she knew Garnet was the exact opposite of gullible.

Looking down at the ground, Amethyst sighed. "Peridot and I took our time to get here. We wanted to milk what we had left, I guess."

Garnet just chuckled, having walked around her desk to lean on the front of it, crossing her arms. "You're a drama queen, you know that?"

"Yeah, I know she can visit me any time." Amethyst groaned out. She hated being teased, especially since she's usually the one doing the teasing. "It just sucks that it has to be while I'm behind bars."

"You'll be out before you know it." Garnet stated, unknowingly repeating the words Amethyst herself said to Peridot just a few minutes ago.

"I hate when somebody else is the voice of reason.." Amethyst complained. She then sighed, holding out her wrists for Garnet to cuff, her bag hung around her right arm. "Let's get started then."

"Nah, none of that." Garnet waved away Amethyst's gesture. "You've already been arrested. You're just returning to your cell from leave."

"Oh. That makes me feel _so_ much better." Amethyst replied sarcastically, rolling her eyes as she put her hands on her hips.

"Come on." Garnet said with a laugh, walking from her desk to lead Amethyst back to the police department holding cell. The ex-prostitute sighed again and followed. She was not looking forward to her freezing, stone hard, springy, pest infes-

"Did you guys get a new bed?"

When Garnet and Amethyst entered the room where her cell was, the silver haired girl noticed that the bed she slept in before was gone. Instead, a memory foam mattress rested on new box springs, equally soft box springs. The whole thing rested on the floor of the cell, meaning that there was no "under the bed".

"Woman named Jasper dropped it off this morning" Garnet answered, smirking at the bemused expression on Amethyst's face. She stood beside the desk in this room, crossing her arms. "Said Yellow Diamond ordered it."

"You see.." Amethyst started, smiling widely at her new bed. "This makes me wish I was still a whore so I could thank her properly."

"Careful with what you say." Garnet warned. "I really will extend your sentence."

"Alright, alright." Amethyst was excited for her new bed, of course, but she always hated it when someone did something for her for nothing in return. "I gotta repay her somehow, though.."

"You make her daughter happy." Garnet commented with a shrug. She walked to the door of the cell, pulling her keys from the belt of her uniform and unlocked it, holding it open for Amethyst. "I think that's plenty."

"Yeah, but I wanna do something for _her._ " " Amethyst protested, making her way into her cell.

"I'm gonna need to see what's in the bag." Garnet said suddenly, after Amethyst had already set her bag on her bed. The silver haired girl turned to face the police woman, hands on her hips.

"Really? It's just some clothes and bathroom stuff. Not like there's anyone in here I can shank with a toothbrush."

Garnet crossed her arms. "I know, but I want to keep my job."

"Oh my god.." Amethyst turned back to the bed and snatched up the bag, turning once again to hand it to Garnet. "Here. Take all the time you want."

"Don't worry, I will." Garnet replied with a smirk. She could tell that Amethyst was getting irritated.. But she didn't know why. "Dr. Maheswaran is coming to visit you again today."

"Did no one give her the memo that my memory's back?" Amethyst asked, taking a seat on the bed.

"She knows. She still wants to talk to you, though. I'll let her in when she gets here." Garnet made her way outside of the cell room with Amethyst's bag in hand. The ex-prostitute sighed and laid down in the bed, resting on her hands behind her head. This was gonna be longer than she thought.

* * *

Peridot is walking back to Amethyst's apartment. She had already reached the more decrepit part of town, so she knew she was getting close. It was surprising at how quickly you could get somewhere in New York when you walked, especially since traffic was starting to pick back up in midtown. The Christmas and New Years buzz was over.

The blonde rounded the corner to the street where Amethyst's apartment was. Her eyes widened. The previously empty street was now filled with the homeless, lined up at Pearl's little shack to get their lunch.

"Oh Peridot!" Pearl called to the blonde girl, struggling to be quick at filling a bowl with soup while trying to not splatter herself with the red liquid. "Can you spare a hand?"

Peridot nodded and rushed to join Pearl's side. Pearl didn't bother handing an apron to the blonde girl. "We're really swamped, so just grab a ladle and get started."

"Where are Rose and Greg? Vidalia?" Peridot asked, reaching under the front counter of the shack to grab one of the hanging ladles. She started to serve soup from the giant pot that stood in the middle of the counter, grabbing bowls from the counter behind them.

"Rose and her family went to the park." Pearl stated flatly, obviously a little annoyed that they left to have fun knowing there was work to do. She just served a dark haired woman with a dirty looking blanket wrapped around her shoulders, and was already moving to serve the man behind the woman. "Vidalia is taking care of Sour Cream. She called and said she'd try to find a sitter, though."

"Sorry to hear that you were left with all of this." Since Peridot's arrival, the line split itself in two. There was one giant row in front of Pearl, and one giant row in front of Peridot. She served a bald man in rags. "I'm glad I can help though."

"So am I, believe me." Pearl chuckled as she hurried to get to the next people in line.

The pair continued to feed the homeless for a quarter of an hour before the lines began to thin. The sweater Peridot wore was strewn with red stains while Pearl was somehow left spotless. The blonde chalked her mess up to the lack of experience. She was going to have to apologize to Amethyst later.

"We're running low on bowls." Pearl stated after the silence. Peridot looked behind them, and sure enough, there were only two or three paper bowls left to feed at least fifteen people. "Amethyst says she keeps a few stacks in her pantry in case we need them. Could you get some for me?"

"Yeah, you sure you got this, though?" Peridot asked, already having left her ladle in the soup pot, edging her way passed Pearl.

"I can't serve soup without bowls, Peridot." That was the only answer Peridot needed to pick up her pace.

The blonde jogged her way to Amethyst's apartment. For once, she was glad for the strict diet that Yellow Diamond put her on. The food was delicious, of course, but it got boring eating the same thing every day, even if it was healthy.

Peridot fished the apartment keys from her pocket a few feet before the door and struggled to unlock it. When she finally did, though, she practically burst into the apartment and ran to the kitchen, searching through the pantry for the stacks of bowls Pearl mentioned. She was quick to find them, as the pantry was all but empty otherwise. She'd have to fill it before Amethyst gets out of jail. Peridot made her way back outside, bowls in hand.

As soon as she exited the apartment, her heart jumped to her throat.

Standing in the street, facing each other, was one of the homeless men, holding a sharp rock to the throat of a woman, and Pearl with her gun pointed at the man.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Well this took a twist. ouo**

 **First of all, I wanna take a moment to express my gratitude to each and every one of my readers. This story has been my most popular work, even getting put above "When Love Has Come to Fruition".**

 **I'm not trying to brag. I just think that I'm very lucky to have so many people enjoy my work that I originally intended to be a short smut fic. I never imagined that I could make such an in depth story that so many people love.**

 **So thank you. I love all of you, and I hope I can keep entertaining you to some extent.**

 **Be on the lookout for a new story called "Pearl's Rejuvenation". For those who wanted more from "Destruction of Property", this is going to be it's prequel. I have no idea how it's going to go, so please try not to be disappointed if it turns out to be shit. xD**

 **As always, so long for now.**


	22. Tragedy

"Good afternoon, Amethyst." Dr. Maheswaran greeted the silver haired girl upon being let into the cell by Garnet. The police woman closed the cell door behind her, locking it once more.

"Hey, doc." Amethyst replied, waving her hand lazily. She sat up in her bed, allowing the good doctor to sit down beside her.

"When you're ready to get out, just jiggle the bars a little." Garnet instructed, making her way from the room. "I'll hear you." And she left the room.

Dr. Maheswaran smiled at Amethyst. Actually, she was positively beaming. Actually, she looked as if she had just won the lottery and was able to pay for Connie's college tuition in the future with thousands left to spare.

"..so I'm guessing you heard the good news?" Amethyst asked, looking Priyanka up and down. She started to feel a little uncomfortable at being stared at.

"I'm so happy for you!" Priyanka almost yelled in her excitement. She gripped Amethyst's hands in hers, looking her patient in the eyes. "You remembered that friend of yours, and you're even in a relationship with her! All barely with my help at all! I can't tell you how many amnesiacs took months for just a fraction of their memory to return to them, but you! Oh my god, you.." The doctor had tears in her now twinkling eyes.

Amethyst couldn't help the blush that crept to her face because of Priyanka's complements. "Y-yeah.." She wanted to look away, to hide her embarrassment at being so close to her doctor like this, but she decided to let the woman milk this for as long as she could. But Priyanka was a therapist, and she could easily tell that Amethyst was less than comfortable in such close proximity.

"Oh, I'm sorry." She apologized, pulling away from Amethyst. "I'm just so happy for you, Amethyst. You're a very lucky person."

Amethyst chuckled and gestured to their surroundings. "I wouldn't consider myself the luckiest girl in the world, doc, but yeah.." Amethyst smiled, Peridot's face forming an image in her mind. "..I'm pretty lucky."

* * *

 _Oh shit oh shit oh fuck oh shit this is_ _ **not**_ _my lucky day!_

Peridot thought this as she watched the scene play out in front of her, having broken out in a cold sweat.

Pearl was in just as much of a sweat. She never imagined that she'd actually be pointing a loaded gun at someone, let alone a homeless man that she was supposed to feed. "Please put the rock down."

"Where's the fucking food?!" The man yelled, pushing the tip of his sharpened rock against the throat of the woman he had taken hostage. She looked scared as all hell, barely grabbing at the man's arm in a meager attempt to keep him from slitting her throat. Pearl could understand that.

"We have food." Pearl explained calmly, though her hands were shaking. "We just need to wait a few more moments for my friend to get back with more bowls. You'll get to eat."

The man didn't reply this time. He only stood there, seemingly willing to wait for the bowls to arrive. Peridot chose this time to step into the street. She clutched the stack of bowls to her chest, not keeping her eyes glued on the man. She didn't want to seem threatening, so she kept at a slow pace so as not to startle him. Luckily, Pearl noticed her first out of the corner of her eye.

"My friend's coming now.." She instructed the man, and he took a quick glance to see that Peridot indeed had the bowls.

"Hurry up, I'm starving!" He yelled at her, which caused her to jump and pick up the pace. She hurried to Pearl's shack, edging her way behind her so that she could lay the bowls on the counter. Pearl didn't move an inch from her position, so Peridot had to take the initiative and took a bowl from the stack and her ladle from under the counter. As she poured the soup into the bowl, the man shifted his weight back and forth on his feet. "Come on.."

When Peridot finished, she made her way around the counter and approached the man. He immediately jumped forward, throwing the woman he held to the ground, as well as his weapon. He snatched the bowl from Peridot's hands, drinking from it hungrily and sloppily. He didn't care. He just wanted to eat. Peridot backed away from the man, not so much as scared anymore, but to give him his space.

Pearl let out a breath she had been holding for a long time. She turned the safety of her gun on and returned it to it's place between the back of her jeans and her underwear. She would have to buy a holster at some point.

"Alright, you've had your food.." Pearl stated flatly, staring daggers at the man. "Now please leave, and find another soup kitchen. You're no longer welcome here."

"I-I want more.." The man stammered, taking steps toward Pearl. "Please, I'm so hungry. Just one more.."

His personality changed so quickly after having gotten food in him. Peridot watched from the side as Pearl judged the man. But, knowing her, she wouldn't let a man starve. And thanks to Amethyst, they did have plenty of rations.. Pearl sighed and held out her hand. "Alright, I'll fill you again, but you _must_ leave." She insisted, her voice firm.

He nodded, handing the bowl to Pearl for her to fill. She took it, and did as she said she was going to do. But as she held the refilled bowl out for the man to take, he reached passed it, grabbing Pearl's wrist instead.

"Dumb fucking bitch!" He yelled, pulling her forward. The bowl went flying, and Pearl could barely let out a scream before the back of her head was grabbed, and her face smashed against the counter she hung over.

The other homeless people watched this scene take place in terror. None of them knew what to do, none of them could move as they watched Pearl's face be repeatedly slammed into the wooden counter. Her nose had already broken, and she was well on her way to losing consciousness. She tried to reach for her gun, if just to scare the man off, but.. she found that it had disappeared from her person.

Instead, a loud bang filled the air. The man's hand was removed from the back of her head. She was finally able to lift herself enough to see the world around her, or what she could see behind her blurred vision. Her right ear was left ringing, so she turned her head to that side to see what had made that noise.

A purple figure stood on her right side, holding.. something. Pearl assumed it was her gun. But it fell from the hands of the figure. Then Pearl heard a quiet thump with her ear that wasn't ringing, and she turned her head to look at the man that was just assaulting her. He wasn't standing anymore. He was laying on the ground, a red color growing around him. Pearl blinked, and her vision started to return.

The man had a hole in his chest, and that red color was blood.

In that instant, Pearl realized what had happened. She quickly turned to face Peridot, and the sight of the blonde girl just broke Pearl's heart.

Peridot sat on her knees, hugging herself. Her eyes were wide behind her glasses, and her whole body was shaking with such an intensity that one would think she were naked at the top of Mt. Everest. All that ran through Peridot's mind was that there was blood on her hands. Peridot Diamond just killed a man.

"Oh, Peri.." Pearl whispered, but her speech was stifled due to her broken nose. She could feel the blood run down her mouth. Slowly, Pearl used the counter as a crutch to slide herself to where Peridot sat. She wrapped her arms around the shivering girl, trying to be as consoling as possible, rubbing Peridot's back. "Is's o'ay." Pearl spoke through her temporary speech impediment. "You'll be o'ay.."

* * *

"So she spent the night in here. She told me about things she did in the orphanage, and all of it just.. came back. Piece by piece." Amethyst explained to the doctor, kicking back in her place at the bed, hands behind her head and legs crossed.

"That's very fortunate. It doesn't usually work that way." Priyanka explained, hands resting neatly on her lap. "Normally, you'd have to go through some sort of hypnosis, maybe visit other people who came from the same orphanage, that kinda stuff."

"You believe in hypnosis?" Amethyst asked, not able to understand the act. "It's just a bunch of bullshit to me."

"It is rather skeptical." Priyanka admitted. "The difference in whether it works or not is how much you believe it's actually real."

"So it wouldn't work on me?"

"Most likely not." Priyanka reached into her pocket and pulled out a shiny, silver plated pocket watch, swinging it from its chain. "But we can try, if you want."

Amethyst declined the offer. "Nah, I'm good. Like you said, it wouldn't work if I don't believe it will."

"Alright." Priyanka returned the watch to her pocket, and instead decided to ask more questions. "How did it feel to regain your memories?"

"It felt pretty good." Amethyst replied without missing a beat. "Like, I knew I was missing some stuff, but it didn't _feel_ like it, you know? I knew that I knew her, but.. She wasn't missing in all of my memories. It was like she never even existed. Then when it came back, when she showed up in my brain again, bit by bit, it was like I was living my childhood again."

"That's the most beautiful description I've heard from any of my patients." Priyanka had her hands clasped in front of her, beaming again at the silver haired girl with tears in her eyes.

"Hey.." Amethyst started with a laugh. "Don't you go starting anymore waterworks. I've seen enough crying today."

Priyanka immediately began wiping her eyes. "O-oh.. I'm sorry. I'm just so happy for you."

"I'm pretty happy myself, doc." Amethyst said with a sigh, closing her eyes. "I don't think anything could bring me down."

Both women jumped as Garnet practically burst through door to the cell room. She rushed to Amethyst's cell door, fumbling with her keys to unlock it.

"Woah, G, where's the fire?" Amethyst asked, worried for the police woman. She's never seen Garnet look so.. nervous before. She was visibly sweating as she struggled to unlock the cell door, and when she finally did, she swung it open.

"Get out. Both of you."

"What's going on?" Priyanka asked, standing from the bed. Amethyst followed Priyanka out of the room, just as curious, but not really complaining since she was being let out of her cell again, and so early too.

"Pearl just called me." Garnet began to explain, leading the three out of the police department and to her cruiser. She opened the back door for Priyanka and Amethyst. "Get in."

"What's up with Pearl?" Amethyst asked, sliding into the back of the police car, followed by Priyanka. "Is everything alright?"

Garnet didn't answer, climbing into the driver's seat. She started the engine and nearly floored it, turning on her lights to alert civilians of her speed. With all this hurry, Amethyst was starting to actually get scared.

"Garnet, answer me." Amethyst commanded, leaning up to look at the police woman through the grate between the back and the front of the car. Priyanka stayed quiet in her seat, allowing Amethyst to ask about her friends alone. "What the fuck is going on?"

"A man was killed during lunch hour at Pearl's station." Garnet whispered, just loud enough so that the company present could hear her. Amethyst's breath caught in her throat, and Priyanka brought her hands to her mouth in shock.

"Holy shit.." Amethyst sat back in her seat. "That's insane. Do you know who did it?"

Garnet took her time to answer. In actuality, she didn't want to answer at all. But Amethyst deserved to know. She had the right to know.

"It was Peridot."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Please forgive me! This is my first time actually writing a death scene, so I hope it's okay.**

 **Be on the lookout for the next chapter of "Dirty Ambitions." That's right, I'm not done with this yet. I'll try to get the next chapter out as quickly as I can. I'm honestly excited to see the outcome myself.**

 **As always, so long for now.**


	23. Comfort

"That's bullshit." Amethyst immediately archived Garnet's information under "BS", not believing for a second that Peridot would be able to kill anyone. "What the fuck has Pearl been smoking?"

"I don't know all the details." Garnet explained, trying to weave in and out of the traffic as fast as she could. "That's why I want to get there before anyone else."

"What, so you can lock my girlfriend up yourself?" The spite was clear in Amethyst's voice.

Garnet took one hand off of the wheel and punched the dash of her cruiser, effectively leaving a dent in the plastic. Her knuckles were bleeding, but she didn't care. "So you can comfort her, dammit!"

That stunned Amethyst to silence. She didn't expect calm and collected Garnet to lose her cool like this. After a few minutes of no response from the silver haired girl, Garnet sighed, turning a corner to make her way downtown. There was less traffic in this area, so she picked up the pace. She couldn't go too fast because of the slow falling snow, though.

"I don't know what's going to happen to her." She admitted. "That's why you need to be there for her. From what I can guess, she used Pearl's gun. Meaning Pearl was being assaulted at some point, and Peridot was just trying to defend her. If that's the case, then maybe, just maybe, we can get her in a cell with you. At least that way, she'll have you to comfort her."

"She won't go to jail." Amethyst argued, surprising Garnet. "Her mom has way too much power in this city. I don't think she'd let Peri rot with me in my cell."

"You don't get what I'm saying, Amethyst." Garnet slowed to a stop. They had reached the edge of the street where the accident happened. She exited the vehicle and opened Amethyst's door, looking down at her as she did. "She needs you more than anyone right now.."

Amethyst just nodded. She didn't really get that she could be the light to Peridot's darkness at the moment, but she didn't question it anymore. She just stepped out of the police car and started walking down the street.

"Should.. Should I stay here?" Dr. Maheswaran asked, not moving from her seat. Garnet shook her head.

"I think Pearl's nose is broken. She can tell you everything while you patch her up."

"And you?"

Garnet crossed her arms and leaned against the police car. "I'll go in about half an hour. They need their time."

* * *

Amethyst walked slowly. The crowd that had been there previously seems to have dispersed. The rest of the homeless waiting for their food left after serving themselves. That was understandable, though. After all, there was a dead body with empty eyes in the middle of the road.

"Ah, shit.." Amethyst muttered, standing over the corpse. His skin was already turning pale from the blood loss. His eyes were still open, and the bullet wound in his chest was clearly visible. The pool of blood under him seems to have dried. The snow that fell into the iron filled liquid took longer than usual to melt.

"Oh my god.." Amethyst turned to see that Dr. Maheswaran had followed her, hand over her mouth as she stared at the body.

"Crazy, right doc?" Amethyst asked, hiding her worry with humor. It did little to help either of them. Dr. Maheswaran kneeled beside the body. She didn't have any gloves, so she could only inspect the wound by sight, but it was enough.

"He must have died instantly.. If not, just a few seconds after being shot."

"How can you tell?" Amethyst asked.

"The bullet hit his heart. I wish I had some gloves to make certain, but some arteries must have been torn. Your girlfriend has a hell of an aim."

"Peridot didn't do this." Amethyst stated angrily. Priyanka stood back up again and looked at Amethyst to see that her hands were balled into fists, shaking at her sides. "She couldn't have done this.."

"You'd be surprised at what people do when they're scared." Amethyst didn't answer. Instead, she walked past the body, followed by Priyanka.

When she reached the door to her apartment, she found that it was already unlocked. She couldn't tell if that was a good or bad thing. Taking a deep breath, she let herself in.

* * *

After hugging Peridot on the ground outside, Pearl slowly brought her to her feet, instructing the other homeless people to serve themselves so that they would be able to get in the house and out of the cold. They all understood, but neither of them really had much of an appetite anymore. So they just left.

Now they sat in the living room of Amethyst's apartment, on the couch. Pearl had one arm around Peridot as a comforting object, and her other hand held a towel up to her bloody nose.

"Evewy thig will be o'ay, Perdot." Pearl said, trying to reassure the blonde girl. Though she cursed herself, irritated with the fact that she couldn't speak clearly. It didn't even hurt anymore. Who knows? Maybe it wasn't broken and just having her face slammed against the counter over and over just temporarily crippled it, thus crippling her speech. No. It was definitely broken. She decided to not speak until she absolutely had to.

When she heard the door open, she jumped a little, hoping to God that it wasn't the police. At the sight of Amethyst, though, Pearl smiled. "Abethys.."

"Holy shit, P.." Amethyst's first sight was Pearl and the bloody towel held up to her nose. Dr. Maheswaran inched passed the silver haired girl, and upon seeing Pearl's condition, immediately went to her side.

While Pearl got checked out by Dr. Maheswaran, Peridot moved on her own for the first time she's done since the incident. She lifted her head to look at Amethyst, and her girlfriend smiled.

"Hey Peri.." Amethyst whispered, placing the back of her hand on her hip, closing her apartment door with the other. "You holding up okay?"

Peridot didn't respond. She just turned her head back to its previous position, staring at nothing, hugging her knees to her chest. Amethyst sighed and sat next to Peridot, hands in her lap. She wanted to hug the grieving girl, but she couldn't. At least, she didn't think she should. Not yet.

"Do you wanna talk about it?" Amethyst asked, and Peridot shook her head. She responded, at least.

"Do you need anything? Water? I have water."

Peridot opened her mouth to speak, but a loud crack filled the room instead. Peridot covered her ears and closed her eyes tightly, practically jumping in Amethyst's lap. Amethyst immediately wrapped her arms around Peridot protectively, glaring daggers at Dr. Maheswaran and Pearl.

"Ow, shit.." Pearl groaned, dancing in place as she held her nose. Dr. Maheswaran had just set the bone back in its place.

"You're still going to need a splint." She informed Pearl, tears in her eyes at the pain. "Honestly, you're lucky the man was so deprived of his strength. If he had been well fed before, you'd probably need surgery."

"Helluva noise you made, P.." Amethyst stated with a low tone. Pearl looked to where Peridot lay in Amethyst's lap, and Priyanka followed her gaze.

"Oh dear.." Priyanka put a hand to her mouth, appalled at seeing Peridot in such a state of fear. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to.." She trailed off.

Amethyst sighed and nodded at the doctor. She knew Priyanka didn't mean any harm. It really did seem like Peridot killed that man.

"Hey Peri..?" Amethyst said quietly, gently, to the girl in her lap. Slowly, she pulled Peridot's hand away from her ear so that she could speak to her clearly. "Let's go get you in the shower, okay? Might make you feel better."

Peridot nodded against Amethyst's chest, but she made no move to get up.

"You want me to carry you?" Another nod, and arms snaked around Amethyst's neck. Alrighty then. Amethyst held Peridot by her legs and stood from the couch. She was lucky that her girlfriend was so light. She looked at Pearl and Priyanka. "Can you guys wait outside and.. I dunno, try to stall anyone that tries to come in?"

"Of course.." Priyanka said with a smile, and Pearl nodded. "Our limit is being threatened to get arrested, though."

Amethyst grinned. "Fair enough." She then started to carry Peridot to the bathroom. She figured that she could get Peridot's clothes while she stood in the shower. Or sat. Whichever she felt like.

Coming to the bathroom door, she had to hold Peridot with one hand to open the door. Amethyst walked in and closed the door behind them with her foot, setting Peridot down on the closed toilet seat.

"I'm gonna start the water and go get your clothes, alright? Can you get undressed yourself?" Peridot nodded. She could do that much, at least. Amethyst smiled and gently kissed Peridot's forehead, then went to the tub to start the water, sliding back the transparent door. Despite herself, Peridot felt her lips curl in a small smile.

"You might wanna cover your ears.." Amethyst instructed, and Peridot did so. The following rush of water was muffled because of her hands, and she was grateful. Pearl's nose being popped back into place was a lot worse.

"Alright.." Amethyst seemed content with the water temperature, drying her hand on her sweater. "I'm gonna go get you some clothes, and I'll wait right outside till you're done, alright?"

Amethyst made her way to the door of the bathroom, but Peridot stopped her, clutching to the back of her sweater from where she sat. "Stay with me.."

Those words were so tiny.. so weak. Amethyst could hear the crack in Peridot's voice when she spoke. She looked back to see Peridot staring at her, her eyes begging Amethyst not to leave her. So she didn't.

"Alright, Peri.." She kneeled in front of Peridot, cupping a cheek in her hand. "I'm not going anywhere." Peridot smiled, and that elated Amethyst. She knew what Garnet meant now. "Do you want me to get in the shower with you?" Peridot nodded. "I'm still on my period, you know.."

"I don't care." Peridot whispered. She gripped Amethyst's hand on her cheek. "I need you." And that was that.

The next few minutes were spent in silence. Both girls got undressed, stepped in the shower, and Amethyst helped Peridot get clean. Under normal circumstances, Amethyst would have made a joke about how they weren't having sex at the moment. These weren't normal circumstances.

During the shower, Peridot barely uttered a word. She didn't complain nor seem to care about the blood that occasionally dripped from between Amethyst's legs onto the floor. Amethyst just wanted to help out the one she loved, careful to stay away from any sensitive bits on Peridot's body, like her breasts. She let Peridot wash those herself.

Before they knew it, they were clothed in Amethyst's room, cuddling on her bed. Amethyst had put on a fresh pad and wore different clothes from her closet. Blue jeans and a green tea shirt with Loki from The Avengers above a bowl of cereal. Large yellow letters spelled out "Loki Charms" above his head. This brought a little chuckle from Peridot. Music to Amethyst's ears.

Peridot lay on top of Amethyst wearing a clean purple sweater and khakis that she had brought from her house before, her glasses folded on Amethyst's nightstand. Amethyst had her arms around her girlfriend, breathing gently into her neck as they lay together. Amethyst knew it was short lived, but this was the best possible thing they could do at the moment. For Peridot.

"I killed him.." Peridot whispered suddenly. Other than that phrase, the blonde didn't move an inch. Amethyst was surprised that Peridot actually wanted to talk about it.

"You had to." Amethyst replied, trying to put Peridot's mind at ease. "He was hurting Pearl."

"It was so loud." Peridot ignored Amethyst's words. "I.. I didn't know that was what happened. I can barely remember it."

"Peri?" Peridot was starting to talk nonsense. Amethyst was getting worried for her. Why was she saying all this stuff that didn't make sense?

Peridot took a few breaths to compose herself. She pushed down on the bed, lifting herself so that she could look Amethyst in her eyes, her own eyes filled with tears. "My dad shot my mom, Ame.. Then he shot himself!" Peridot couldn't take it after speaking these words. She fell back to Amethyst, sobbing in her shoulder.

All Amethyst could do was hold the crying girl, staring at the ceiling. That's why Peridot was sent to the orphanage. Amethyst didn't know any of the details, and yet, back then, she was able to bring a smile to Peridot's face. Peridot probably didn't understand it at the time either. That's why she was so torn up now. She took the life of a man, and that was traumatizing in itself, but the noise of the gun made her remember what had happened to her parents.

Amethyst didn't speak. She only started to hum a little tune in Peridot's ear, hoping to ease the poor girl. Over time, Peridot's sobbing slowed to occasional shivers, her body rising and falling as she tried to steady her breath. Then Amethyst closed her eyes and started to sing.

 _Let's go in the garden.._

 _You'll find something waiting,_

 _Right there where you left it, lying upside down._

Her voice was soft, melancholic. To Peridot, it was as if an angel were whispering in her ear.

 _When you finally find it,_

 _You'll see how it's faded._

 _The underside is lighter, when you turn it around._

 _Everything stays.. Right where you left it._

 _Everything stays, but it still changes._

 _Ever so slightly, daily and nightly,_

 _In little ways.. When everything stays._

Amethyst finished singing, opening her eyes to find that Peridot had fallen asleep in her arms. She smiled, closing her eyes again with a sigh as she held her girlfriend more tightly to her.

Amethyst didn't care that the police could come in here at any moment to take Peridot away. Right now, she needed this. They both needed this.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **I admit it. I cried while writing this. You can call me whatever you want, but reading it back, that is damn emotional!**

 **Be on the lookout for the next chapter of Pearl's Rejuvenation.**

 **As always, so long for now.**


	24. Garnet's Dilemma

It's been a long time since Peridot has slept so peacefully. Hearing Amethyst's song while she fell asleep helped her to forget the horrors that transpired just earlier that day. Even in the previous night, she hasn't felt so.. calm.

Peridot didn't dream, or anything of that sort. In fact, she didn't know if she could call what she did "sleep." It was merely a pitch black void, where nothing could bother her unless she opened her eyes. Though she supposed she must be asleep, as she could just barely feel the world around her. She knew that she was resting on top of Amethyst, her loving girlfriend, but she could hardly feel it.

It felt good, to be so cut off from the world. The only problem she had in this dreamless paradise of darkness was that she knew exactly when it was to come to an end. And that time was now, when a knock sounded on the door to Amethyst's room.

Peridot squirmed, burying her face further in Amethyst's neck. Amethyst sighed and gently rubbed her girlfriend's back. The comfort had to end at some point.

"You alright, Peri?" Amethyst asked quietly, though she probably already knew the answer.

Peridot didn't answer. She didn't want to. She knew that if she did, she would have to detach herself from the comforting hold of her childhood friend whom only truly returned to her life two nights ago. But at the insistent, annoying knocking and further questioning from Amethyst, Peridot was forced to answer.

"I'm okay.." She sighed out against Amethyst's neck. She opened her eyes and looked up into her girlfriend face from where she lay. Despite what Peridot said being a blatant lie, she smiled. "Thanks.. For being here for me."

Amethyst smiled in return. It was hard, to really believe that Peridot was okay. Not after what she went through. Not after experiencing death right in front of her. But Amethyst decided to let it go for now. Instead, she kissed Peridot's forehead. "I'll never leave you alone again.." She whispered.

Peridot knew that this was true. Amethyst was no lier. Well, at least not when it counts. Peridot reached up and pushed her lips against her girlfriend's in a quick peck. They both wished it could have lasted longer, but Garnet's voice came from the door.

"Amethyst, are you in there?"

Amethyst sighed and gave an apologetic smile to the girl on top of her. "We can't hide in here forever.."

"I know." Peridot responded. She wanted to hide forever, god, did she want to. But she had to face the music eventually. So to Amethyst's surprise, she sat up in the bed and turned to face the door, her legs crossed under her and hands in her lap. "Come in!"

At Peridot's instruction, Garnet slowly entered the room. The only thing that Peridot actually liked about seeing the police woman in this situation was that she wasn't wearing her shades. Garnet's reddish brown and deep ocean blue eyes were exposed for Amethyst and Peridot to see.

"Hey, G." Amethyst greeted, propping herself up from her laying position on the bed. "What's shaking?"

Before Garnet could answer, Peridot quickly spoke up. "I'm going to prison, aren't I?"

"Peri.." Amethyst sat up completely, on her knees as she placed a comforting hand on Peridot's shoulder. Peridot ignored it.

"I killed that man." Peridot continued. "I shot him and he's dead. That's murder."

"Manslaughter." Garnet corrected. "You killed him because you were scared, and protecting Pearl. You probably didn't even realize what you'd done until after you pulled the trigger."

"You and I both know I knew what I was doing." Peridot argued with Garnet. Amethyst was surprised at how forceful the blonde was being. She cut in, grabbing Peridot's shoulders and whispering in her ear.

 _"What the fuck are you doing?"_ Amethyst asked. _"You're making your case worse."_

"I'm tired of taking it easy." Peridot stated firmly, not breaking eye contact with Garnet. "Living with Yellow Diamond, I was taught to defend myself if need be. I stole Pearl's gun and shot the man who was harming her. I knew what I was doing."

Garnet took her time to process this information. She crossed her arms, staring down at the blonde girl who seemed intent on going to prison. Would Peridot even survive among so many other inmates?

"The least you'll get is five years." Garnet stated. "You'll be in your twenties before you get out."

"And the most I'll get?" Peridot asked, curious.

"Twenty-five years." Garnet answered without hesitation.

Amethyst couldn't take it. Tears stung at her eyes as she forced Peridot to look at her, holding onto both sides of the blonde's face. "Don't fucking do this, Peri."

Peridot was surprised. She's never seen Amethyst so emotional, ever. Even when they were children, Amethyst would always smile, no matter how much pain or strife she went through. Peridot gripped Amethyst's hands in hers. "Amethyst, I have to-"

"No!" Amethyst interrupted, tears visibly staining her cheeks. She didn't care at this point. "You _don't_ have to do this! I'm in a cell for a couple of months, you're gonna be put in prison for years! You won't survive there, Peri, you just won't!"

Even Garnet was surprised at Amethyst's outburst. Gone was the cool and nonchalant young woman. Instead, Garnet saw a scared teenager, begging her girlfriend with all her heart to plead for emotional self defense.

"You're not taking the high road by getting arrested!" Amethyst continued her rant, pulling Peridot in a tight hug as if to keep her from the police. Her voice became softer as she sobbed into Peridot's shoulder. "Y-you don't have to go, please don't go.."

Peridot clutched onto Amethyst's back, her own tears threatening to escape her eyes. "Ame, I.."

"Please don't leave me again."

These words made Peridot feel as if her chest were going to burst. Feeling Amethyst's shaking against her, the ex-prostitutes tears hot on Peridot's neck, made the blonde realize and feel guilty for what she's been saying.

Of course it was stupid to actually _want_ to go to prison! Who in their right mind would want to be pulled from the people they love just because they felt like it was the right thing to do? Sure, Peridot killed a man, but it was in defense! He was homeless, had no family, and if he was allowed to continue what he was doing to Pearl, she might have been the one to end up dead.

So Peridot wrapped her arms around Amethyst in return, holding her girlfriend just as tightly, whispering. "..I don't want to leave you."

This exchange was certainly emotional, Garnet thought. To watch Amethyst tear down her walls to beg Peridot to stay out of prison by pleading for emotional defense. But really, the scene in front of the police woman was plenty enough defense in itself.

"Tell you what.." Garnet started, and the couple on the bed turned their heads to face her. "The usual fine would be up to five thousand dollars. If you pay it up in the next three days, then you're free to go. No trial. No court hearing. Nothing."

"W-won't you get in trouble?" Amethyst asked, wiping her tears. "You can't do that, Garnet."

"I became a Sergeant in less then a year when I first started working there." Garnet stated, pointing to the golden eagle badge she wore proudly on her uniform. "At worst, I'll be demoted. Besides, with all that crying, I thought you wanted Peridot to stay out of prison."

Dejectedly, Amethyst nodded. She was torn, not wanting Peridot to leave her side and go to prison, but also not wanting Garnet to get in trouble with her superiors. So she decided to go with the lesser of two evils and keep her girlfriend from being thrown in with the cruelest people in New York.

Garnet smiled and pulled her sunglasses from the pocket of her pants. She placed them over her eyes and adjusted them. "Good. I'll tell our chief. Of course, I can't promise that you won't be pulled in for questioning."

"I'll be okay with that." Peridot replied, and she knew she would be. She was used to being questioned by people due to being Yellow Diamond's adoptive daughter.

"Alright, then." Garnet then turned and began to head from the room, out of the building, until Amethyst's voice stopped her in the middle of the hallway.

"When should I be back in my cell?" Amethyst called out. She wanted nothing more than to just stay here with Peridot, but she knew it couldn't last long.

Garnet poked her head back through the door, smiling almost coyly at the couple on the bed. "I'm sure everyone at the precinct with agree when I say you've done more than your fair share of time. I'm letting you out early for good behavior. Have a good day." And she was out of the door before Amethyst could protest.

Peridot, on the other hand, was more than a little elated. The blonde let out a cry of joy and tackled Amethyst back into a laying position on the bed. On top of her girlfriend, Peridot left kiss after kiss over Amethyst's face, and Amethyst couldn't help but giggle at the administrations.

"Damn, Peri!" Amethyst practically had to pry Peridot from her, holding her by her shoulders to look her in the eyes. "What's gotten into you?"

"What do you mean, "what's gotten into me"?" Peridot asked, as if Amethyst should already know the answer. Her smile was wide, and for the first since the incident, she was truly happy. "You don't have to go back! No more rickety bed, no more cold toilets, and you can shower! Why shouldn't I be excited?!"

Amethyst stared up at Peridot's smiling face. It looked so happy, so joyful. Her eyes were red and glistening from her previous crying, but smiling along with her mouth. She had the tiniest hint of dimples. Her hair was messy, still a little damp from the shower they shared. Amethyst wondered if her own her was leaving water marks on her bed.

Amethyst ignored her girlfriend's words. Instead, she cupped Peridot's cheek, smiling in turn. "You're so beautiful when you smile." The blush that adorned Peridot's face made the blonde even more beautiful, in Amethyst's opinion.

It was so odd, though, Amethyst thought as she pulled Peridot into a kiss. So many things have happened in just the past couple of weeks. What are the odds that Peridot would be forced to take a life just a couple of days after gaining her childhood friend back? What are the odds that they would come across each other in New York, and find themselves as romantic partners? What are the odds that such beautiful reunions could come with such awful tragedies?

It was odd, but Amethyst didn't give a shit. Explanations could wait until some of the heat has died down. Right now, entangled with her girlfriend, the love of her life, she just wanted to enjoy her newfound freedom.

* * *

"I'm totally gonna get fired.." Garnet mumbled to herself as she walked down the street, not even glancing at the dead man in the street, back to her police cruiser. She would call an ambulance and get her squadron to set up a crime scene when she got back to her department. Garnet had told Amethyst and Peridot that she was just going to be demoted to make them feel less guilty. But in reality, Garnet was committing a crime; aiding an alleged criminal. She hasn't reported Peridot's actions to the chief yet, and she doubted anyone in this neighborhood would have called the police. Aside from Rose's apartments, the place was pretty poor. But she would have to tell her superiors sometime, and when she did, it was _not_ going to be pretty.

Garnet sighed when she got to her car, lifting up her glasses to pinch at the bridge of her nose. It was going to be a hell of a lot of paperwork to fill out.

"Um.. Excuse me?"

Garnet turned her head toward the sound of a timid, feminine voice. Standing a few feet from her car, leaning on the side of one of the buildings that stood at the end of the street, was the same woman that was taken hostage by the now deceased man. Her hair was a bright, almost bleached blonde color. Her clothes weren't very impressive, considering she was a homeless woman, but they looked warm. She was thin, and if she was shirtless, Garnet was sure that she would be able to see the woman's ribs.

"Can I help you?" Garnet asked. The woman nodded, and stepped forward, a little more confident since being acknowledged. Garnet noticed that her feet were are and dirty.

"My.. my name is Sadie." The woman introduced herself. "I, uh.. I'm a witness to what happened earlier, and.."

"And you want to come in to tell us what you saw?" Garnet finished for Sadie. Another nod. Garnet studied the woman for a few seconds. Upon closer inspection, she noticed a bruise around Sadie's neck. Garnet's lips curled into the smallest of smiles.

Maybe, just maybe, she could still save her job.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Sorry for the long wait. I've been having a bit of a writer's block, as well as searching for a job. My chapters might be more infrequent from now on, but I'll be sure to leave information on my Tumblr the general time that new chapters will be coming out.**

 **0zerotolerence. tumblr. com  
**

 **Anyway, I was wondering if you guys wanted my chapters to be longer, maybe more detailed? I've enjoyed keeping the chapters short and sweet, but I still wanna know what you think.**

 **Be on the lookout for the next chapter of "Love is Weird." As always, so long for now.**


	25. Remember

No words could exactly express the feelings that Peridot and Amethyst felt toward one another.

Amethyst was free from her previous lifestyle of prostitution, free from the jail cell she was supposed to stay in for two months. Just a little more than a week had passed, and Garnet had already released Amethyst. The odd thing about this, however, is that Amethyst didn't have to go through the processes. She had no paperwork to fill out, no fingerprints to give to the police, there was no probation for her to be on, nothing. Amethyst was completely and utterly free of everything she's ever been. Of course, she would have to apologize to Yellow Diamond that the bed she ordered Jasper to bring to Amethyst's cell was practically unused, but that could wait for another time. As Amethyst lay in her bed at her apartment, staring at the ceiling with her hands behind her head as she awaited Peridot's return from the bathroom, she let her mind empty. Amethyst thought of not a single thing, except for her beautiful girlfriend.

* * *

Peridot sighed as she stared at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. Her eyes were red from her crying, and her hair was a jumbled mess. Her hands rested themselves on the sink, because if she didn't prop herself up, Peridot was afraid that she would fall over. She was overcome with a variety of emotions, ranging from marvelous joy to overwhelming guilt. On one hand, Peridot knew that this was the right choice. She knew that staying with Amethyst, avoiding prison, was her best option. Yet, Peridot could not shake away the feeling in her stomach, the bile that rose to her throat every time she thought of that poor man she killed. Barely an hour ago, Peridot Diamond took the life of another human being. Now here she was, expected to forget such a tragedy and move on with her life, but how could she?!

It was so easy to pull the trigger. There was no resistance to the metal Peridot's finger held, no remorse from the bullet that shot from the barrel of the gun. Hot lead pierced the body of a man, taking away his life, and Peridot was to blame.

Thinking rationally trying to steady her breathing in front of the mirror, Peridot knew she could have done something else. Peridot could have yelled to get the man's attention, threatened him if he didn't let go of Pearl. Peridot should have been calm and collected, as she was trained to be by the numerous social situations Yellow Diamond put her through. But, undoubtedly, the experience with that man was _not_ the same as playing Beethoven in front of hundreds of people. There was a big difference between practicing for months to entertain many different individuals and spending a fraction of a second watching the life die from one man's eyes. It wasn't the actuality that Peridot killed a man that got to her. It was that it was so _easy._

Of course, it wasn't just that. The gunshot had reminded Peridot of how her parents died. It was so surreal, too. As soon as Peridot pulled the trigger, in her mind, she saw her father kill her mother.

Why had she forgotten that horrid night in all of those years? Did Peridot force herself to forget, like Amethyst forced herself to forget when Peridot was adopted? Peridot knew that was another reason shooting that man riled her so much, remembering her parent's deaths. But in that tragic memory, Peridot remembered something else, something that made her smile at her reflection despite everything.

She remembered her last name.

Peridot splashed her face with cold water she ran from the sink, if at least to steady herself. She held her hands over her face for a few moments, just reveling in the darkness. Then, reinvigorated and having dried her face with the towel she used from her earlier shower, Peridot decided to return to Amethyst's bedroom.

Peridot exited the bathroom and made her way back to Amethyst. She smiled when she saw Amethyst laying there, having closed her eyes. Peridot tapped her knuckles against the door frame.

"Knock knock."

Amethyst opened an eye to see Peridot standing in the doorway. She smiled and sat up in the bed, legs crossed and patting a spot in front of her to invite Peridot to join her.

"Hey babe. Have a good bathroom break?"

"That's a weird question to ask." Peridot replied, taking Amethyst's invitation. She walked to the bed and crawled on top of it. Peridot sat on her knees facing Amethyst.

Amethyst smirked. "Just wanna make sure your piss is healthy."

"Aw, I'm so flattered." Peridot put a hand over her heart. Of course, both she and Amethyst knew that she was just being sarcastic.

"Smartass." Amethyst reached forward and gripped Peridot's arms. Peridot found herself being pulled into Amethyst's embrace, now practically on top of the silver haired girl. But Peridot didn't mind. She liked the comfort Amethyst's arms brought her.

Peridot sighed and rested her head in the crook of Amethyst's neck. "Yeah.. But I'm your smartass."

Amethyst smiled and held Peridot tighter to her. But, despite herself, Amethyst couldn't resist reaching down to squeeze Peridot's butt. "My smartass has a great ass."

"Mm, just can't be romantic, can you?" Peridot asked. Though she wasn't complaining, to Amethyst's delight.

"My first official job was as hooker. You can't really blame me, P-dot."

"You're not one anymore, though." Peridot said.

"No.." Amethyst replied, returning her hand to Peridot's back. "No I'm not. You still have a great ass, though."

Peridot chuckled and then sighed against Amethyst's neck. She clutched at Amethyst's shirt, allowing herself to get comfortable. A few moments of silence pass, and the two girls just enjoy each other's company. They both certainly deserved it. For all of the events Amethyst and Peridot went through, they deserved to have some sort of peace. They deserved to be together, calm and joyful. But life wanted to keep screwing the couple and interrupted their cuddling with a knock at Amethyst's apartment door.

Peridot groaned in Amethyst's neck and pulled more tightly on Amethyst's shirt. It was clear that she did not want to move. Amethyst could understand that, but she needed to see who was at her door. If it was a different policeman, well they literally couldn't ignore the door.

"C'mon, Peri.." Amethyst said softly, gently pulling at the back of Peridot's shirt. Peridot groaned again, but relented and slid off of Amethyst's body. Peridot lay on her stomach beside Amethyst and looked up at her girlfriend.

"Don't take long, please."

"I won't." Amethyst bent down and gave Peridot a quick kiss to the top of her head. "I promise."

Peridot smiled. "I love you."

"Love you too, babe." Amethyst replied, and scooted herself off of her bed, heading down the hall. The insistent knocking slightly annoyed her, but when Amethyst was greeted by Rose's and Greg's appearances after opening the door, she was pleasantly surprised.

"Hey guys. What's u-" Amethyst's words were interrupted when she was pulled by Rose into an almost crushing hug.

"Oh Amethyst!" Rose was almost in tears, happy that Amethyst was okay, but deeply saddened at the fact that Peridot had to take a life. Before Amethyst could even realize that she couldn't breathe, she was being pushed away and held by the shoulders. "Pearl called us and told us everything. She's at the hospital with Dr. Maheswaran. We left Steven with Jenny. Is Peridot okay? Did Garnet arrest her?"

Greg placed a hand on Rose's shoulder from behind, halting her little barrage of questions. "One thing at a time, hun." Rose nodded, wiping her tears without looking away from Amethyst.

Amethyst, despite the situation, found Rose's ramblings to be quite comedic. She let out a snort of laughter after coming down from the initial shock of being bombarded with questions. Hands on her hips, Amethyst shook her head and replied to Rose's worries.

"Peri's fine, Rose." Amethyst said, toning down her laughter. She smiled widely and turned to lead Rose and Greg to her room. "Come on, she's in my room."

* * *

"Alright Miss Miller.." Garnet said from the front seat of her police car, Sadie sitting in the back. A tape recorder sat on the dash on the passenger's side. Garnet had turned it on before she started to speak. They were on their way to the police department, where Garnet would hand Sadie and the recorder over to her superiors and hope for the best. "Tell me everything you saw."

"Well.." Sadie started, hands folded in her lap. "..I was in line with everyone else to get some food. I felt bad for Pearl and her little friend, so I stepped out of the line to, I dunno, try and lighten their load. It was pretty stupid, now that I think about it."

"Every little bit helps." Garnet said, slowing to a stop at a red light. "Please continue."

"Alright. After a little while, the line was starting to thin out, but they were running out of paper bowls. So Pearl's friend -"

"Peridot." Garnet interrupted.

"Right.. Peridot went to get some more paper bowls from the apartments. I think it was Amethyst's. While she was gone, I was.. I was grabbed by a man, and he held a rock to my neck. I think it was a rock. I think he was trying to hold me hostage until he was given food. I don't know why, though. He would've gotten it eventually."

"Did you know this man?"

"Not personally, no." Sadie said, a slight hint of spite in her voice. "But he was an asshole. Not just for then, but since he lost his home."

"His name?"

"I think it was Kevin. He used to be fairly well off, but I think his wealth was taken through some sort of bet him and his family made with some other big wigs. The Dumonds, I think?"

"Diamonds." Garnet corrected, tightening her grip on the steering wheel. Of course even that would have to revolve around Peridot and her foster family. The light turned green and the car started moving again.

"Yeah, that's it." Sadie said in a small exclamation. "Diamond. Anyway, Kevin grabbed me and demanded food. Pearl pointed her gun at him and we waited just like that until Peridot came back. They gave him his food, and he let me go. Threw me to the ground, actually. I was in a little bit of a daze for a few seconds, but the next thing I saw was Kevin hurting Pearl, hitting her face on the counter. Then Peridot grabbed Pearl's gun and.. well, you know."

"Did you notice anything about Peridot's expression?" Garnet asked. "Did she seem frightened? Panicked?"

Sadie put a finger to her lips in thought. "Well.. I wouldn't say she was scared. She looked more angry, until she pulled the trigger, at least."

"What did she seem like afterward?"

"Afterward.." Sadie paused at this, taking her time to think. Really, it was hard to pinpoint the exact emotion Peridot's expression gave off. Peridot's eyes grew wide, her hands began to shake, and she fell to her knees. There were really no words to describe the transition between that expression and angry with determination. "I can't really put a word to it."

"Give me your best description, then." Garnet persisted.

"Well, if I have to describe it.." Sadie looked at Garnet through the rear-view mirror. "..I'd say that she looked as if she just watched her parents die."

* * *

Peridot was in the process of being smothered. Her face were buried between two large, pillow-like objects. Normally, she wouldn't mind being held between one's breasts, especially if those breasts belonged to Amethyst. But the breasts that Peridot was smothered in were neither Amethyst's, nor were they allowing her to breathe.

"Oh, Peridot.." Rose practically sobbed over Peridot's head, her arms tightly held around Peridot's body. Rose was sitting on the edge of Amethyst's bed, with Peridot's body in an awkward forward laying position after being pulled into Rose's embrace. "I'm so, so sorry!"

"You've said that, like, eight times already." Amethyst said, standing in front of Rose with her hands on her hips. "And I'm no doctor, but I'm pretty sure people need to breathe to live."

Rose immediately let go of Peridot and allowed her to sit back and take a big gulp of fresh air. Amethyst laughed, though Rose and Greg stayed silent. It was obvious that the married couple were still shocked and assumed Peridot was traumatized. Peridot took her time to breathe after being released, leaning back as she closed her eyes. Really, she was grateful that Rose was being so comforting. Or trying to be comforting, at least. Peridot really didn't feel like not being able to breathe was a good comfort tactic.

Peridot moved from the bed to stand beside Amethyst. Amethyst instinctively put her arm around Peridot's waist. The blonde found this much more comforting and laid her head on Amethyst's shoulder. "I'm fine."

"Are you sure?" Greg asked, standing beside Rose. "You went through something big. Certainly more than we've ever gone through in our entire lives."

"I dunno.." Peridot said, her lips curling into a smirk. She looked to Rose. "You probably went through a lot when you had Steven."

Rose couldn't help but laugh. Greg smiled and placed a hand on Rose's shoulder as she replied to Peridot. "Believe me, hun. Labor wasn't nearly as bad as what my husband went through. Can you even imagine how angry I was toward him until Steven was born?"

"Yeah, pretty hard to believe, Rosey." Amethyst said. She lead Peridot to the bed, sitting them both beside Rose. "Why don't you tell us how it all went down? I haven't heard this story yet."

Rose then began telling the story of how she felt Steven's kick that broke her water and sent her into labor. Rose thought that perhaps this really wasn't the time to feel pity for Peridot. Sure, things needed to be talked about eventually. Of course, there was going to be the stuff with the police department to take care of, as well as letting Peridot's family know what had happened, but that could all wait. As Rose looked at Amethyst and Peridot's smiling, bright faces, she knew. She knew that everything was going to be okay.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Been a while since I posted a chapter to this story. Nothing's really happening aside from a little bit of fluff and comfort, but I hope you enjoyed it. If you have any questions to ask me, you can find my Tumblr in my profile.**

 **The next chapter of "Hell Hath no Fury" is coming next. As always, so long for now.**


	26. Return to the Mansion

Peridot, Amethyst, Rose, and Greg sat in Amethyst's apartment living room. They had moved from Amethyst's bedroom to give them all a little more elbow room. Even so, Amethyst and Peridot still sat as closely on the couch as they could. Rose and Greg didn't blame them. The two girls deserved their love, especially after all the stuff they went through. Rose had just finished telling a tale of how she had Greg run around town, buying her a multitude of different foods. Rose wasn't allowed to eat while in labor, so as soon as Steven was born, she ate whatever she could get her hands on. After food, Rose demanded Greg take care of Steven while she rested. Then when she awoke, she demanded to hold Steven until she had to rest again.

"I was so mean!" Rose finished, laughing. She sat on the couch next to Amethyst and Peridot while Greg stood beside her, leaning on the arm of the couch. "I still feel bad about it."

"And I told you not to worry about it." Greg said, placing a hand on Rose's shoulder. "I was happy to do that much for you. I really couldn't do anything else besides that, anyway."

"I still wanna make it up to you."

"Maybe you could make it up to him when Steven gets old enough to move out of the house." Amethyst suggested, then added a nudge to Rose's side. "You know, if ya catch my drift."

"Oh, I don't know.." Rose said with a slightly sultry voice, turning to look at her husband. Greg's face was already heated up in a blush. "I haven't been dirty in so long..~"

Amethyst laughed. "I'd give you pointers, but I haven't been around a dick in months."

"Okay, I think I wanna go home now." Peridot said, standing from the couch. She fished in her pockets, searching for her phone so that she could call Jasper to pick her up. But she had forgotten that she took a shower, and left her phone in her other pants. She turned to Amethyst. "Hey, are those clothes from earlier still in the bathroom?"

"Yeah. You sure you wanna leave, though?" Amethyst stood from the couch and gently took Peridot's hand in her own, almost desperately. "We were just messing around, you know?"

"I need to tell Jasper and Lapis what happened, anyway." Peridot said, forcing a small smile. Of course, she really didn't want to relive that moment. But Peridot thought that her closest friends deserved to know.

"Can.." Amethyst started, but paused. She bit her lip, seeming to be in thought before she continued speaking. "Can I come with you?"

The smile on Peridot's face shifted from being a forced grimace to a genuine curl of her lips. "I was gonna ask you to come with me anyway. We still have a lot of catching up to do."

Rose stood from the couch to stand with Amethyst and Peridot, and Greg stood beside his wife, arm wrapped around her waist. "What about your mother?"

"Oh.." Peridot hadn't thought of that. How _was_ she going to tell her mother that she murdered someone in cold blood? Well, of course that wasn't the case, but Peridot still had a feeling that that's what she did. A couple of weeks ago, Peridot would have been terrified at the thought of what Yellow Diamond would do to her. Peridot has taken a life, and that version of her mother would have brought righteous justice down upon Peridot's very being. But that was only Peridot's imagination.

After her conversations with her mother this past week, Peridot had no doubt in her mind that Yellow Diamond would be supportive, but that seemed to be just as bad in Peridot's mind. Peridot knew she'd be coddled like a child, maybe even taken from Amethyst for "protection." Yellow Diamond would see Amethyst as a bad influence, a luck begone whore of New York that brought her child into the dregs of humanity, forcing Peridot to have to defend herself against a man hell bent on survival. Well, that's how Peridot imagined her mother would react now.

But even despite Peridot's imagination, despite her fear, she knew that she couldn't lie to her mother. Not when they had just started to become closer to each other. "I'll tell her when she gets home. I don't want her to have to worry about me while she's on the other side of the planet."

Rose smiled and shook her head. "Trust me. Coming from a mother, I think she'd rather you tell her as soon as possible. In a week or so, when she returns and finds out that you've kept this from her? She won't be happy."

"I don't really care." Peridot said. "She's living it up in Italy right now. She can kick my ass later, I just want her to have a good time."

"Your mom won't be saying the same thing." Greg added.

Peridot just shrugged. It was pretty clear that her mind was made up. Rose sighed, and sat back down on the couch, a clear sign that she had given up trying to convince Peridot otherwise. Greg went to follow suit, but stopped himself short.

"You know.." He started, addressing Peridot. "I can take you girls to your house if you give me directions. I can pick Steven up from Jenny on the way back, anyway, maybe save your driver a trip."

"I'd appreciate that." Peridot was quick to accept the offer. It was clear that she was excited. Peridot's eyes practically danced, even if she herself tried to stay stoic. "It's been a long time since I've ridden in a regular car."

Greg laughed, putting his hands on his hips. Amethyst and Peridot couldn't help but compare Greg's jollyness to that of Saint Nick. "Well it's a van, but it's definitely regular." He then turned to his wife. "I'll be back in bit. Might be a while, with traffic picking back up."

"Of course." Rose stood from the couch again and took Greg's hands in hers, giving him a quick kiss. "Just be careful, alright? You know how uncomfortable I am with you driving that old thing."

"Never let me down before." Greg replied with an almost cocky smile. He then pursed his lips in thought. "Well, except for that little flood we had a couple years ago. Or when I was caught in that earthquake when I was sneaking in the van to sleep."

"You snuck into your own van?" Amethyst asked.

"Hey, I used to be homeless, remember? Wasn't my van at the time." Greg reminded her, looking over his shoulder. "If you wanna go grab some clothes before we head out, go ahead and do that."

"Yeah, alright." Amethyst grabbed Peridot's hand and lead her back to her room. "Come on, you can help me pack."

As the couple left to room, Greg looked to Rose again, his eyebrow raised. "So.. were you serious about the whole "dirty" thing?"

"Oh, sweety.." Rose cupped Greg's cheek in her hand, her whisper low, seductive. "You'll find out when Steven moves out."

"Can't blame a guy for askin'." Greg said, even though he'd be perfectly fine if Rose never did any of that stuff for him. Her love and compassion was the reason he fell in love with her in the first place. The sex just happened to be a surprise bonus, when Rose had told him she wanted to have a baby. And Rose knew this as well, that Greg would never do such a thing as ask her to pleasure him. This, among literally hundreds of other things, is a reason why she loves this man so.

"No.." Rose whispered, normally. Romantically. "No I can't." Then she was pulled into an embracing kiss, allowing themselves a few moments of bliss before returning to their daily lives. Even though Rose and Greg weren't directly involved with what had happened to Peridot, the news certainly took some sort of toll on them.

* * *

Amethyst and Peridot now sat in the back seat of Greg's van as he drove them from the slums of New York to Peridot's mansion. Peridot sat in the middle seat so that she could be close to her girlfriend. They held each other as if they wouldn't see each other again for years, and, given the circumstance, that just might be a possibility.

The girls weren't stupid. They knew that Garnet's word as a police woman didn't mean anything to the higher ups. Even if it was self defence, or if it was to protect someone in an emotional and spontaneous outburst, Peridot still killed a man.

When Peridot had followed Amethyst and Greg out of the apartment, she saw the body in the streets. Garnet had not yet call an ambulance, or a hearse for that matter. In that time, Peridot couldn't help but stare at the cold corpse. Her grip in Amethyst's hand had tightened to the point where Amethyst looked at Peridot and followed her gaze. When Amethyst realized what was going on, she rushed the group to Greg's van, which was sitting behind the apartments. When they sat themselves in the vehicle, Greg tried to rush passed the body, Amethyst kept Peridot away from the windows, and that was that.

The rest of the ride was spent in silence, aside from the occasional cough or sneeze, and Peridot giving directions to Greg. The sun was already setting. It was odd to think that everything that had happened only just occurred today. Only when they reached the more ritzy parts of New York did Greg start asking questions.

"So which of these lovely homes is yours?" Greg felt a little uncomfortable, driving his run down van through such a contrasting neighborhood. His van was decorated with planets and the moon, as well as the name he liked to call himself whenever he sang for people on the streets, Mr. Universe. It was ironic that his last name happened to be coincide with his musician alias.

Compared to the van, all of the cars in these fancy driveways were far more dignified. Black, red, and yellow sports cars, aerodynamic and probably more expensive than Rose's entire apartment complex.

"You'll know when you see it." Peridot responded, a hint of pride to her voice. "It'll be the one at the end of the street, up a little bit of a hill. It looks like it should be landing strip for thieves."

"Oh.. I think I see it." Peridot and Amethyst exchanged knowing grins at Greg's words. Even from where they were in the van, just a bit over half way down the rich people street, Greg could already see the house. Just like Amethyst when she had first witnessed its glory, Greg was impressed. But he was also even more uncomfortable than ever. Just the sheer size of the mansion he drove up to was intimidating. Really, Greg would consider it a palace fit for kings.

Greg pulled up to the gate of the mansion and set his van to park, turning in his seat to look back at Peridot. "So what now? Is there an intercom or something?"

"No, no intercoms." Peridot replied, stepping out of the vehicle. She walked up to the side of the gate and began to do her thing with the security system.

"I guess it's a family and employee only access." Amethyst said to Greg when he continued to give her an inquisitive look. "They figured it's safer to have an actual tenant of the house bring the guest in themselves, if they have any, I guess."

"That's uh... pretty secure." Greg said turning back in his seat to face the front. "I can only imagine how much it cost."

"Didn't cost a thing." Amethyst stated. She leaned back and put her feet up on the passenger's seat in front of her. "Peri made and installed all of this."

Greg couldn't help but let out an incredulous laugh. "I don't believe you."

"My girl's a smart one, Gregory." Amethyst used Greg's real name to sound more fancy. Greg could practically hear the pride Amethyst had for Peridot. "You know, when we were in the orphanage, Peri turned our box T.V into an H.D screen just by using our caretaker's phone."

"Considering you only just got your memory of her back, forgive me if even that's a little hard to believe."

"Eh, it doesn't matter." Amethyst looked out the car window and saw Peridot walking back to the car. She smiled. "As long as I know, it doesn't matter.."

* * *

The rest of the drive up to the actual door of the mansion took about a minute and a half. Amethyst had never really judged the distance until now. Back then, she didn't really care. All she wanted to do was give her client an orgasm, get paid, maybe spend a little time gaining a new friend. Hell, before Amethyst regained her memories, before she realized she even had amnesia, she was fully prepared to let Jasper, Lapis, and whoever else hire her services. But now, as she stepped out of Greg's van, leading Peridot by the hand, she had no doubt in her mind that her childhood friend was the one for her.

"Thanks for the lift, Greg." Amethyst said, fingers to her head in a false scout's salute. She made her way to the back of Greg's van to collect her one Wal-Mart bag of clothes. Peridot smiled.

"Yeah, I'm sure Jasper will appreciate it."

"No problem. Really, I'm happy to help any time." Greg responded, setting the gear to reverse. He waited until Amethyst was in the clear before turning around to make his way back to pick up Steven and return to his wife.

Amethyst and Peridot turned and walked up to the giant door of the house. Peridot reached out to open the door, but Amethyst stopped her hand.

"You gonna be okay? You haven't really talked a lot today."

Peridot sighed. "I've just.. been thinking. About what I'm going to say to them. To my mom."

"It's eating you that badly, huh?" Amethyst asked, and Peridot nodded with a small smile.

"Yeah. I mean, what am I supposed to say? "Hey Lapis, Jasper, while you guys were busy fucking your brains out, I shot a man dead"? Or how about, "Mom, good news! I learned how to shoot a gun while you were away by shooting homeless people"?"

"You know that's not how it happened, babe." Amethyst tried to reassure, rubbing her thumb on the back of Peridot's hand. "It wasn't so easy as that. I mean, you must have been pretty freaked."

"I know, but.." Peridot paused, sighing once more. "How do I tell someone something like that? I killed someone."

"Well you don't have to tell them alone, you know. I mean, I wasn't there to get a play by play, but I'm with you now. I'll stay with you too. From now on."

"You're such a romantic." Peridot said with a chuckle. She turned to Amethyst and kissed her, getting herself a little encouragement before walking to her own personal Hell. Then she pulled away. "I'm glad you're with me, though. I love you so much."

Amethyst felt her face heat up. No matter how many times Peridot said those words, she would never get used to them. "I love you too, you dork." Amethyst said while turning Peridot to pat her back. "Now let's get in there and get this over with. We'll make it quick, like a band aid."

"Oh yeah." Peridot replied with sarcasm, opening the door and leading Amethyst into the house. "As soon as I see them I'll say I killed a man, then we'll go to my room and start playing video games like nothing happened."

Amethyst stuck out her tongue at Peridot. "You know what I mean." She then took a look around the giant entrance hall. She never really appreciated the intricate designs of the wallpaper until now, when she had time to. "Yup.. Still as big as last time."

"Corrosion isn't going to make it smaller for another couple hundred years, Ame."

Amethyst scoffed, following Peridot up the stairs. "Pfft, smartass."

"Yeah, but I'm your smartass." Peridot retorted, shaking her butt in Amethyst's face as she climbed the stairs. "And if I recall, you said it's a great ass too."

Amethyst practically ate Peridot's ass up with her eyes. "Oh yeah. It's a damn shame I'm bleeding this week.."

"That just means I can't really touch you if I don't want my hands to get dirty." Peridot stated. When they reached the top of the stairs, they started walking to Peridot's room. Her words became stuttered, and shy. "Y-you know.. you can still play with my body. I-If you want.."

"Mm, well in that case.." Amethyst grabbed Peridot's hand, letting go of her bag of clothes. Amethyst pushed Peridot against the wall, placing her lips dangerously close to Peridot's neck. "How about I take you here and now..?"

Peridot's initial surprise was quickly followed by what she could only assume to be was arousal. Amethyst's breath on her neck was hot. Peridot's arms were being gripped so tightly as she was pinned to the wall. She could feel her legs shaking, and this all happened so quickly!

"Oh my god.." Peridot groaned, arching her back. Amethyst smiled, pleased with herself. She could feel Peridot's breasts pressed against hers, and that was almost enough to make Amethyst actually ravage her girlfriend in this hallway. Almost.

"Sorry, Peri." Amethyst said as she pulled away from Peridot, grinning. Amethyst grabbed her bag from the floor. "Maybe after you actually tell your friends what's up."

"Ugh, you bitch.." Peridot whined, fixing her glasses as she tried to regain her composure. Being pushed against the wall, handled so forcefully.. If Amethyst knew what was happening between Peridot's legs at this moment, she might change her mind. Peridot was definitely going to have to change underwear.

"Don't you "bitch" me, you know I'm right." Amethyst said with a laugh. "Come, you can't put it off forever."

"Put what off?"

Amethyst and Peridot turned to see Lapis exiting one of the many rooms that she was paid to clean. Lapis was dressed in her usual maid outfit now, complete with a feather duster. Amethyst could swear she was in some sort of sit com or drama show.

"Oh, Lapis!" Peridot greeted, her face heating into more of a blush than when Amethyst had her against the wall. It was clear she was incredibly nervous. "You're almost done with cleaning?"

"Yeah.." Lapis answered, raising an eyebrow. "I just have to sweep all the dust down to the entry hall and vacuum. But how'd you get back home? Jasper's asleep."

"We got a ride." Amethyst answered for Peridot. "A friend of mine."

Lapis crossed her arms judgingly. "Well alright, but what about you? Aren't you supposed to be in jail?"

"A lot happened today, Lapis." Peridot cut in with a sigh. She knew that she couldn't let Amethyst say everything. Fixing her glasses again, Peridot prepared herself for the worst. Mentally, at least. "You need to get Jasper. We have a lot to talk about."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **It feels good to get another chapter for this story out. Honestly, this is probably my favorite story to work on. It's so much more in depth than anything else I've written so far, aside from Hell Hath no Fury.**

 **Speaking of which, that's gonna be the next story to have a chapter come out, so be on the lookout for it.**

 **Also, I've been thinking of making a different sort of story, at least for my style. Tell Tale Game's The Walking Dead, except with the characters from Steven Universe. Of course I don't plan on making it exactly to scale with the game with just different characters, but let me know what you guys think.**

 **As always, so long for now.**


	27. Move in With Me

Peridot, Amethyst, Lapis, and Jasper all sat in the dining hall. Peridot had just told her friends the story about what had happened earlier that day, and needless to say, they did not take the news well.

Lapis cried in Jasper's shoulder, sobbing as she clung to her girlfriend. Jasper wrapped an arm comfortingly around Lapis' body, her own expression void of emotion. It was just so hard to believe that Peridot, of all the people in the world, could have been forced to take the life of another.

Amethyst and Peridot sat next to each other. Peridot stared down at the table, ashamed for making Lapis cry. Amethyst rubbed Peridot's back comfortingly, in much the same way that Jasper held Lapis. No one really spoke for a few moments. What was anyone supposed to say after having a bomb like that dropped on them?

After a set amount of time passed, Peridot, surprisingly, was the first one to speak. "I' sorry."

"You damned well better be." Jasper scolded, causing Peridot to flinch. "I was having a good nap until you came and ruined it."

"That's what you're mad about?" Amethyst asked, anger evident in her voice.

"And don't even get me started on you." Jasper ignored Amethyst's question with a dry chuckle. "I personally brought your new bed into you cell, and now you're suddenly free? Seriously, I put a lot of effort in moving that bed."

"Hey screw you!" Amethyst shouted, standing from her chair. "Peridot's been through enough shit today, give her a fucking break."

"I'll give her a break when I want to." Lapis' crying had become quiet through this little exchange, but her body was still shaking. "I mean, do you even know what I was dreaming about?"

"What the fuck does that have anything to do with-" Amethyst stopped herself short. Lapis' cries were replaced with another noise. High pitched, and quick, Amethyst realized that Lapis was in a fit of giggles against Jasper's blue tee shirt. Amethyst looked down at Peridot in the chair beside her, who was covering her face, but behind her hands was a wide smile. Then Amethyst looked to Jasper again, who had a knowing smirk on her face. Then it clicked. "You're fucking with me."

"No, what gave you that idea?" Jasper asked rhetorically. Lapis turned around in Jasper's lap, facing Amethyst and Peridot. Tears still streaked her face, but her smile showed that she was far from being sad.

"Oh my god, babe.." Lapis said between little hiccupping sobs and giggles. She leaned back into Jasper with a sigh, closing her eyes. "I love you."

"Love you too, hun." Jasper whispered, kissing the back of Lapis' head.

"Well I hate all of you." Amethyst said in a huff, sitting back down in her chair, crossing her arms.

"Hey, I wasn't in on it!" Peridot defended herself, taking her hands away from her face. "I felt like shit until I realized what was going on."

Lapis laughed and raised her hand. "I'm guilty, though. I knew what she was doing the moment she complained about being woken up."

"Not my fault you actually thought I'd get mad for moving a bed to your cell that you never used." Jasper said, wrapping her arms more tightly around Lapis in a hug from behind. "It's your fault for being so gullible."

Amethyst's only response was the middle finger. Peridot, Jasper, and Lapis all had a laugh, and Amethyst couldn't help but let the edge of her lips curl.

"Really, though, Peri.." Lapis started, wiping more tears from her eyes out of laughter. "I'm so sorry that happened to you. I can't even imagine what you went through."

Jasper nodded. "Yeah. If you ever need us, we'll always be there for you. Just give us a call and we'll come running."

"Thank you." Peridot replied, happiness and sincerity beaming from her face. "You're the best friends a girl could ever have."

Amethyst cleared her throat. Peridot continued.

"I mean, seriously. I couldn't ask for better friends."

Amethyst cleared her throat again, more loudly this time. Peridot turned to her girlfriend, faux concern on her face. She knew exactly what Amethyst was trying to do, but she wanted to milk this as much as possible. "Hey, you alright? Do you need a cough drop or something?"

"Nah." Amethyst refused, putting her hands behind her head. "I think I got it out of my system."

"Well alright then." Peridot turned back to Lapis and Jasper, who's cheeks were puffed out trying to hold in their laughter. "Anyway, what was I saying? Oh right. Best friends I'm ever gonna have."

"Screw you." Amethyst said with a laugh, smacking Peridot's arm with the back of her hand. Jasper and Lapis burst out laughing, the latter of the two falling out of her girlfriend's lap to roll on the floor.

Peridot laughed along, rubbing her arm. When the laughter had died down, Lapis pulling herself up from the floor while wheezing, Peridot spoke seriously to Amethyst.

"I did miss you.." Peridot said, sliding her hand over Amethyst's to lock their fingers together.

Amethyst smiled sadly. "I wish I could say the same, Peri."

"But you did miss me." Peridot replied. "You missed me so much you forced yourself to have amnesia. That's missing me pretty freaking badly."

"Whatever." Amethyst really didn't want to talk about it. She still felt bad about forgetting the best friend she's ever had. So to shut Peridot up and hopefully close this whole conversation, Amethyst leaned in and kiss her girlfriend.

"Oh my god, I think I'm gonna puke." Jasper said. She puffed out her cheeks and held her hand over her mouth, then ducked her head under the table to pretend to vomit.

"Oh my god, you guys are so cute together." Lapis said, almost at the same time as her girlfriend.

Amethyst grinned against Peridot's lips. Another peck and she pulled away, resting her head in her hand, elbow on the table. "Oh don't you even start, Jasper. The worst Peridot and I have done is make out topless. I'm positive you guys have done a lot more dirty things than we have."

Jasper's head poked back up from the table, her grin wide. "Oh, you have no idea. If you were still a whore and I started working, I'd drive you out of the job."

"You would not." Lapis chided, climbing back in Jasper's lap. Lapis put her arms behind her to wrap around Jasper's neck, and Lapis kissed her cheek before whispering in her ear. Whatever Lapis said was enough to bring a bright blush to Jasper's face.

"Oh my god, what'd you say?" Amethyst asked, her grin wide. Peridot was just as excited, leaning forward.

"Yeah, I've never seen you so red, Jasper!"

Jasper groaned and hid her face against Lapis' shoulder. "Please don't tell them."

"Oh? And why not?" Lapis asked, turning around to straddle Jasper. Lapis rubbed at Jasper's chest and stomach teasingly. "I thought you would have more of a reputation than Amethyst. What happened to all that bravado?"

"Okay." Peridot said, standing up from her chair, hands flat on the table. "To save Jasper from being humiliated, and to spare me from having to watch you two fuck each other on the dining hall table, I'm gonna bring this back to the subject at hand." After a pause, when Lapis stopped teasing Jasper and the heat from the bigger girl's face died down, Peridot spoke her mind. "As your employer's daughter, I order you not to speak a word of this to Yellow Diamond."

"You're serious?" Jasper asked, her mouth agape in disbelief. "Why would I _not_ tell her?"

"Because I ordered you to." Peridot stated flatly. There was no hesitation in Peridot's voice, nor was there any doubt in her look. Jasper was about to shoot back another retort, but Lapis put a hand over the bigger girl's mouth.

"Yes, Miss Diamond."

"Good." Peridot sat back down, holding her face tiredly in one hand. She allowed her other hand to be taken by Amethyst, and that gave her a little comfort.

Lapis sighed and removed her hand from Jasper's mouth. "Sorry Jasper.." She apologized, tilting her head back to look up at her lover. "But I can't do anything when she plays that card."

"..whatever." Jasper said solemnly. She closed her eyes and pulled Lapis tighter to her once more. "I hate when she does that, though."

"I hate it too." Peridot said. Then she added with a grin, taking her hand away from her face. "But really, if I told you not to tell my mom as a friend, you guy's would've done the right thing and told her anyway."

"You're not wrong." Lapis agreed, nodding. "We care about you, Peri. More than you think we do."

"I know, I know.." Peridot knew what Lapis said was true. Almost seven years of devoted service and friendship. Seven years of Lapis, Peridot, and Jasper bonding over the antics they got themselves into without her mother's permission. Seven years of learning how to let someone into her life again. Seven years of getting over the girl that now sat right beside her.

Amethyst looked between the three other girls, and being Amethyst, couldn't help but break the silence with comedy. "So… should I leave you guys to your threesome or am I invited?"

"Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that." Peridot answered, turning to face Amethyst. Amethyst put her hands up, her laugh awkward and forced.

"Woah, Peri, I was only joking."

"I'm not talking about the threesome thing." Peridot pushed that thought to the side, taking Amethyst's hands in hers. Peridot stared in Amethyst's eyes, rather intensely. Almost uncomfortably, in Amethyst's case. A moment passes and Peridot doesn't say a word. Another moment, still silence. Then another, still quie-

"Babe, seriously." Amethyst said seriously, all manner of humor gone from her expression. "You're creeping me out."

Peridot's face immediately blew up in a blush. She let go of Amethyst's hands and turned away, hiding her face in her hands. "Oh my god, I'm so sorry! I don't know why I froze up like that, I practiced it over and over in my head."

"Dude, I'm flattered, I really am." Amethyst started, holding her hand over her heart. "But I think getting married is a _little_ too much for us right now."

Peridot looked up from her hands at Amethyst, her whole face now as red as a beet. "THAT'S NOT WHAT I WAS THINKING ABOUT!"

"Alright alright, I'm sorry!" Amethyst apologized, raising her hands again in a defensive state. "Can you blame me?! You were staring at me all intense and everything!"

"I know, I'm sorry!" Peridot yelled. Today was just not turning out to be a good day, whether it was Peridot's killing a man or getting the wrong point across. Lapis and Jasper stared wide eyed at the interaction they were witnessing. It was turning out to be one hell of a night.

"So what do you want to say?" Amethyst asked. "Peri, I love you. Seriously, anything you need to get off your chest, I'm there for you."

"Move in with me." Peridot blurted out.

This was it. Peridot closed her eyes, preparing herself for the worst, for Amethyst to reject her. Well, that wouldn't be the absolute worst, but it would be damn near close to it. The worst would be if Amethyst were to break up with Peridot after having been asked such a thing. Peridot waited for the outburst of rage, for the rejection she was inevitably going to receive.

What on Earth was Peridot even thinking?! Of course Amethyst was going to reject the offer. It was much too soon for them, especially after Amethyst just got her memories back. There was no possible way, in all of logic or reason, that Amethyst would feel close enough to Peridot to want to move in with her, not so soon at least. Peridot should have waited longer. A few weeks, at least. No, not even that. Even a few months would be far too soon after having just discovered each other again. Now all Peridot had to do was wait. She waited for Amethyst to say-

"No."

There it was. It was so obvious that this would be the outcome. Peridot could feel the tears threaten to force themselves passed her closed eyelids. But at least Amethyst didn't seem to want to break up, since Peridot felt her hand against her cheek. Perhaps Amethyst was trying to console her? It was a sweet gesture, but Peridot doubted that anything Amethyst did or said would lift her spirits.

" _You_ move in with _me._ "

Say what now?

Peridot opened her eyes to see that Amethyst's eyes were brimming with tears, her smile wide. What was going on?

"You have _no_ idea how happy I am to be asked that, Peri." Amethyst started, wiping Peridot's own tears away. The had fallen when the blonde opened her eyes, opening the dam, so to speak. "But I can't just come live with you, just like that. You know this."

"Why not?" Lapis asked, confused as to why anyone who lived in poverty wouldn't want to live in the lap of luxury. "I'm sure Yellow Diamond could set you up, maybe make you Peridot's personal assistant if she likes you enough."

"But I don't want the easy life." Amethyst replied, turning her head in that brief moment to answer Lapis before looking back at Peridot. "I love you, and I'd love to live with you. Yeah, we've only technically been dating for a couple days, but what better way is there to catch up with each other? But I just can't imagine myself living in this house. Spend the night, sure, but it just doesn't feel _right_."

Peridot thought about Amethyst's words for a moment. She then chuckled, bringing a hand up to clasp Amethyst's on her cheek. "I can understand that."

"Then why don't you live with me?" Amethyst asked. "When I get a legitimate job. I can hold down our rent and you can still do your nerd studies. When it's time for you to take over your mom's company, we can live together, work from my house but do your business at the mansion. Lapis and Jasper get their privacy and everyone wins. What do you say?"

"I.." Peridot really didn't know what to do. She was so set in stone, having invited Amethyst to move in with her. But having it done the other way around, she just had no idea. What would her mother even say? It couldn't be that easy, anyway. Nothing was that easy. Peridot sighed in the palm of Amethyst's hand. "I can't. Not until I talk to my mother about it."

"That's okay." Amethyst immediately responded. She wanted to make sure that nothing would make Peridot upset. She deserved to be happy. "Hell, even if we don't move in together, we can still see each other, right? Yeah, we live on the opposite sides of New York City, but it could be worse."

"Yeah.." Peridot agreed. She looked back at Amethyst, and on impulse, gave her girlfriend a quick kiss to the lips. "It could always be worse."

"Why don't you stay over anyway?" Jasper suggested. Amethyst and Peridot looked at Jasper with inquisitive looks and she began to explain herself. "Peri's been through some shit today. A lot more than either me or Lapis have gone through. Why not stay here with her until Yellow Diamond gets back? Then we'll all tell her about the little incident, ask her how she feels about you moving in together, and we'll go from there."

"That's.." Peridot started, trying to find the right words. "..surprisingly well thought out for you."

"Hey, I'm more than just muscle." Jasper retorted, pretending to be offended. Lapis saw this as a chance to push her girlfriend's buttons again. She ran her hands over Jasper's legs, craning her neck back to talk into Jasper's neck, making sure her breath was hot on the sensitive skin.

"Mm, yeah you are. I love all your soft bits."

Jasper let out a low growl, determined not to lose out in this battle of teasing. She gripped Lapis' neck with her hand, running her fingers along the skin as she brought her other hand to rub up and down Lapis' inner thighs. "Don't make me fuck you."

"But I love it when you fuck me." Lapis whined, closing her legs around Jasper's hand.

"Oh I haven't fucked you yet." Jasper moved her hand further up Lapis' legs, going so far as to reach under her maid skirt to tease the outside of her underwear. "All this time I've been trying to be gentle with you." Jasper whispered, pushing a finger against Lapis' crotch. Lapis arched her back, mouth open in a silent moan. "You want me to really fuck you? Then you better be ready to scream for me."

"So, uh.." Amethyst stood from the table, Peridot following suit. They allowed their hands to hold each other, almost automatically, as Amethyst made an excuse to leave the room. "Yeah, we'll just.. leave you guys alone. Gotta unpack and stuff."

But Jasper wasn't even listening. By the sound of Lapis' breathing and the feral look in Jasper's eyes, things were about to get really messy, really fast. Amethyst didn't waste another second and pulled Peridot from the dining hall. Both girls laughed as they ran from the porn that was about to happen. Really, the driver ending up having sex with the maid on the dining hall table? That was so cliché.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **So this chapter was kinda all over the place. Nothing really got done, but I hope you guys enjoyed the witty banter. Like I said, I love writing this story. I think that I'll go ahead and start writing the next chapter, so be on the lookout for it.**

 **As always, if you have any questions about my story, or just wanna talk in general, I'll be happy to receive your messages. Son long for now.**


	28. A Night of Passion

**WARNING:**

 **This chapter contains heavy sexual content and vulgar language. Consider this a halfway point for the story as a whole.**

* * *

A few days have passed since Amethyst started living at Peridot's mansion. Temporarily, of course. Amethyst stayed to make sure Peridot was comfortable, to make sure that the blonde girl wouldn't have any relapses concerning what had happened a week prior. But she also stayed because she had nowhere else to go since she couldn't pay the rent for her apartment anymore. After all, Amethyst had quit her one and only job.

Of course Amethyst wasn't complaining. She loved spending time with her loving girlfriend, and loved being able to see Peridot every single day. It's just that she still wished that she had a job, and was doing _something_ to provide for Peridot and pay her back for everything she's done. Yeah, Peridot was rich, but Amethyst felt the need to pay back her debt. She always has in the past, and certainly always will.

But when Amethyst brought this up to Peridot, the blonde just shrugged and used her usual excuse. "Babe, I'm rich. Don't worry about me." That annoyed Amethyst to no extent.

"I'm paying you back." Amethyst had insisted, her arms crossed and her look stern. "You got my memory back and you're giving me a home to live in until I get a job. I'm paying you back."

That's how it went. Back and forth, the couple argued about whether Peridot needed to be paid back for her generosity to Amethyst, or whether Amethyst just wanted to pay Peridot back. The cycle continued, and their arguments usually ended with the subject being dropped until further notice. Until one night, when Amethyst had had enough.

* * *

Lapis and Jasper stood in the entrance hall of the mansion, looking up at Peridot and Amethyst standing on the stairs. The couple on the ground floor were dressed up rather well.

Lapis wore a light blue dress that flowed around her legs just below her knees. Since it was still winter, she also wore black leggings and an aqua marine coat hung around her shoulders. Despite swearing that she would wear nothing having to do with high heels, those are what she wore tonight, a similar color to her jacket. Amethyst and Peridot assumed Jasper talked Lapis into it. Lapis' clothes were just the tip of the iceberg, as her make-up and jewelry were all the more impressive. Ruby red lipstick complemented her dress nicely, and purple eye shadow to act as a mixture of her blue dress and red lipstick. Her ear rings hung like rain drops just centimeters below her ear lobe. Even without Amethyst to state the obvious, anyone could see that Lapis was fucking hot.

The real surprise was that even Jasper chose to take the lipstick lesbian look, to a lesser extent of course. Jasper's long hair was pulled and brushed into a neat ponytail that hung down to hang just above her butt. Her entire outfit consisted of a dark, bloodied orange color. Her sleeveless top was slightly cropped to reveal her stomach, but Jasper had a similar colored scarf tied around her midriff to protect it from the cold. Still, Amethyst thought it was useless, considering the amount of cleavage that Jasper was showing off. Her pants acted like skinny jeans, only they looked as if they had the texture of a dress. It was useful working for a rich family sometimes, Jasper had thought. The pumps Jasper wore were also orange, but lighter in color due to being practically smothered in glitter. The only make-up she wore was a light shade of red lipstick.

"You kids have fun!" Amethyst called from the stairs, acting the cliché part of a mother figure. "Be home before midnight, and be sure to use a condom!"

"Yes, mom." Jasper replied, grinning as she played along with Amethyst's game.

Peridot didn't want to miss out on the fun either, addressing Lapis, pointing at her with a stern look. "And you, don't you dare to anything to hurt my baby."

"Of course not, Mrs. Diamond." Lapis then turned to Amethyst. "I can't promise we'll be home before midnight, though."

"Fine." Amethyst said, crossing her arms. "Just make sure you aren't stumbling through the door drunk."

"Will do." Lapis agreed, putting two fingers to her head in a scout's salute. Doing this made Amethyst and Peridot notice that Lapis had painted her finger nails orange. Taking a look at Jasper, they were right in their assumption that she had painted her nails blue.

"Aww, sweetie!" Amethyst squealed, grabbing Peridot's hands. "They match!"

"Come on, mom!" Jasper whined, though she couldn't help but laugh. All of the girls laughed, finally letting their little roleplay tickle their funny bones. With another quick good bye, and another "have fun", Jasper and Lapis were out of the door. Peridot turned to Amethyst and placed her hand on her hip in an accusatory fashion.

"You know, you're way too easy on them. That Lazuli girl had better not get my girl pregnant, or it's your head."

"Aw lighten up, hun." Amethyst replied, returning to her character as well. She pulled Peridot's arms around her waist, afterward draping her own arms over Peridot's shoulders, holding the back of her head and her neck. "They're just gonna have a bit of fun. There's no problem in that, is there?"

Peridot chuckled and pulled Amethyst closer to her. Their bodies were so close that they came into contact with each other, and then some. "No, I guess not. A little fun is good now and then, I guess. But still, that Lazuli girl- "

"Shhh..." Amethyst shushed Peridot gently, and the way that Amethyst had done it sounded so... alluring. Amethyst gave Peridot a quick kiss to her lips, then moved on from there. Peridot's cheek. Her nose. Her forehead. Her ear lobes. Amethyst made sure not to leave an inch of Peridot's face not coated by kisses.

"You have such a way with words." Peridot whispered, having closed her eyes to enjoy the sensation of Amethyst's lips on her skin. It still felt so amazing. After that first kiss, after the beginning of their spiraling descent into drama and love, Peridot never got used to the feeling. Electricity still ran through her lips when Amethyst kissed her. Euphoria washed over her body when Amethyst hugged her. Ecstasy came to Peridot in waves when Amethyst whispered sweet nothings into her ear. There was no possible way that Amethyst could make her feel any more special than she already was.

"Mm… Peridot?" Amethyst whispered, having kissed her way down to the blonde's neck.

"Hm?" Peridot asked, wondering what sweet or dirty thing Amethyst had to say to her. Whatever it was, Peridot wanted to hear it.

Amethyst brought her head up from Peridot's neck back to her ear. With her breath hot, her voice sensual, and her hands roaming, Amethyst whispered something that Peridot wasn't quite ready for.

".. _let's fuck._ "

Peridot let out a gasp and opened her eyes. Gently but quickly, Peridot took her hands away from Amethyst's waist and pushed her away by the shoulders.

Amethyst immediately went on the supportive, allowing Peridot her personal space by taking another step backwards. But, being on the stairs, stepping backwards is never a good idea. Amethyst miss-stepped and lost her balance, falling backwards. Luckily, however, she grabbed onto the railing of the stairs, saving herself from a tumble.

"Oh my god I'm so sorry!" Peridot apologized, covering her hands with a mouth. When Amethyst didn't try to pull herself up from her awkward position on the rail, Peridot quickly grabbed Amethyst's free hand and helped her back up onto the step they were on. "I-I didn't mean to make you fall like that! You just surprised me, and I didn't know what to do, I had to get some space, I just- "

Peridot shut up when Amethyst placed a finger to her lips. Amethyst's smile was kind, understanding. "Peri, it's cool. I pushed a button, and it was the wrong one. Let's leave it at that." When Amethyst didn't move her finger, Peridot nodded. "Good."

Amethyst removed her finger from Peridot's lips and instead twined them with Peridot's own digits. Amethyst lead her girlfriend all the way up the stairs, to where there was solid ground. They walked down the hallway to Peridot's room, where Amethyst stopped outside of the door.

"I'd ask if you wanted to sleep together." Amethyst started, turning to face Peridot. "But considering what just happened, I don't wanna make you uncomfortable."

"I was never uncomfortable." Peridot corrected. She looked to the ground, far too embarrassed to look her girlfriend in the eyes. "You just surprised me, is all. I thought you were still on your period, anyway."

"Ended this morning." Amethyst explained, and Peridot nodded in understanding. Of course that was it. Amethyst wouldn't have solicited herself for sex otherwise.

"I'm sorry." Peridot repeated.

"Will you stop that?" Amethyst groaned, rubbing the back of her head. "It's not your fault, it's mine. I thought it'd be a nice way to pay you back for everything anyway."

Peridot finally looked up at Amethyst, except instead of shame and embarrassment, Peridot held a determined expression. "You're _not_ a whore. If you're so dead set on paying me back, it's not gonna be with sex."

"Well you won't take anything else!" Amethyst said in exasperation. She looked to the ground and kicked at invisible sand, if just to do something to ease her frustration, hands in her purple pajama pockets. "I figured if I can't pay you, I might as well have your legs around my head."

"You. Are _**not**_. A whore." Peridot said again, stressing the word "not" more so than she did before.

"But I gotta- "

"No." Peridot interrupted, grabbing Amethyst's hands from her pockets. Amethyst looked back up at her girlfriend. "You are already paying me back."

"That doesn't make a bit of sense, babe."

"It totally does." Peridot persisted. "Amethyst, you've supported me through so much in my life. You were the first girl to help me get over what happened to my parents. You were the one who gave me friendship when I needed it most. You were the one that never treated me like an outcast because of how nerdy I was compared to others. Sugilite teased me, Opal ignored me, and Sardonyx used me as stage material. Ruby and Sapphire were great, but they never treated me as well as you did. You snuck me snacks in the middle of the night, you encouraged all of my experiments. You allowed me to be myself, Ame. There's literally nothing, _nothing_ more I could ask for than that and your love. If anything, I owe you a lot more than you owe me."

Amethyst hadn't thought about that before. It's true. She did protect Peridot from her emotions, allowed the blonde to move on her own terms. Amethyst gave Peridot a friend when Peridot had lost everything just the night before. To a romantic, that meant a lot more than a simple wad of cash. And may Hell freeze over if these two girls weren't the romantic types.

"Oh my god, Peri…" Amethyst whispered, feeling the tears rise. Amethyst didn't want to cry, not when she was so happy. So she did the only logical thing she could think of. She kissed Peridot.

Peridot felt that she could allow this, her lips curled into a smile as she kissed Amethyst back. The only sound in the doorway to Peridot's room was the light smack of the couple's lips. They kissed and they kissed, exploring every corner of each other's mouths as they could. Slowly, Peridot's hands left Amethyst's. Thinking nothing of it, Amethyst just placed her hands on Peridot's lower back, enjoying the kiss. Peridot, however, chose to slip her fingers just under the hem of Amethyst's Loki Charms shirt, lightly stroking Amethyst's bare sides, slipping around to her lower back.

"Mm, Peri, don't." Amethyst said, pulling away from the kiss. She lay her head on Peridot's shoulder, feeling her face heat up. "You're turning me on."

"Well maybe I want to." Peridot whispered, sliding a hand completely inside the back of Amethyst's shirt. Slowly, she stroked Amethyst's skin, trailing her soft, slender fingers across the sensitive flesh.

"But you didn't wanna… oh my god, Peri~" Peridot grinned as she found a sweet spot on Amethyst's back. A little more pressure from the blonde, a sharp intake of breath from the silver haired girl. So this is what it was like to pleasure someone, Peridot thought. She liked it.

"I said you surprised me." Peridot whispered, teasingly removing her hands from Amethyst's shirt. The blonde felt herself quiver when Amethyst let out a pathetic sounding whimper. " _I never said I didn't wanna fuck you_."

"Aw _fuck,_ baby.." Amethyst whined, her body language practically begging for Peridot's touch to return to her. "Usually I'm the one getting' people hot and bothered… Never had it done to me before."

"First time for everything" Peridot stated confidently. Of course, her confidence was only shadowing her real feelings of nervousness and fear. Was what Peridot thought was gonna happen, happen? "Speaking of first times..." She continued, pulling away from Amethyst and gesturing with her head toward the bed. Peridot didn't need to say anything else. Amethyst understood and nodded.

The couple walked into the bed room, Peridot closing the door behind them. As she did that, Amethyst took a seat on the bed, using her hands to prop herself up as she leaned back. Peridot turned from the door and smiled at the sight.

"Come hither, dear." Amethyst said in a false British accent, gesturing to Peridot with one of her fingers. Peridot had to stop herself from laughing. Amethyst reminded her of a game she played that used the same words and the same gesture, but Peridot decided to opt out of telling Amethyst this. For now, it was time to play along.

"Yes, my lady." Peridot replied, pulling at the hem of her shirt as she curtsied. She didn't think she was experienced enough to do a "sexy" strut yet, but putting a little sway in her hips as she approached Amethyst couldn't hurt. It seemed to work, anyway, because Amethyst bit her lip, eyeing her girlfriend up and down. Peridot climbed on top of Amethyst, straddling her as she wrapped her arms around her neck. "Is there anything… special, my lady would request of me?"

"No such thing comes to mind." Amethyst replied, running her hands across Peridot's waist and legs. Then Amethyst dropped the accent, speaking in sincerity. "Really, just having you as my first time; that's enough."

"Only technically your first time." Peridot corrected. "You must've pleasured tons of women before me."

"Yeah, but none of them touched me." Amethyst felt a pang of guilt course through her, but she pushed that thought away. She was done feeling guilty about something she couldn't control. Amethyst lowered her head to Peridot's neck, leaving a light trail of kisses before whispering. "Think of it as practice for you."

"I feel so special~" Peridot practically sang, tilting her head to allow Amethyst more access to her neck and throat. She still didn't quite understand erogenous zones, how just a little touch could send electricity straight to Peridot's crotch. But she definitely wasn't complaining.

Peridot mentally thanked Amethyst for taking things slowly. Small back rubs, gentle kisses to the neck and cheek, light nibbles on the ears; it was all so sweet, and pleasurable. All of this made Peridot love it when Amethyst slid her fingers inside the back of her shirt all the more. It was such a small contact, but it sent shivers up Peridot's spine.

"Mm, Ame…" Peridot groaned out quietly, lightly tugging at Amethyst's hair. She wanted more of this feeling, more of this pleasure. Amethyst's touches were so soft, but Peridot wanted more than just that. " _Bite me._ " Peridot requested in just barely a whisper.

Amethyst smiled against Peridot's cheek, the part of her girlfriend she was kissing at the time. Without a word, Amethyst made her way down Peridot's face, to her neck. The blonde held her breath when she felt Amethyst's mouth open. It all seemed so teasingly slow… Then Amethyst's teeth sunk into Peridot's skin, forcing the blonde to gasp for air.

Things started to heat up a bit after this. Amethyst slowly leaned back, keeping her mouth on Peridot's neck as they lay in the bed together. Amethyst flipped over so that she was on top of Peridot, her hands squeezing and groping whatever bit of Peridot's body she could find as she sucked on her neck. The blonde could do nothing but breathe, her glasses quickly fogging up with her heated arousal.

"You're so cute." Amethyst said, sliding her hand inside the front of Peridot's shirt. Well, it was Amethyst's shirt that the blonde girl was wearing. Peridot could only nod, her voice lost to her as Amethyst's hand reached her breasts, kneading them through her bra. "Does this bring back memories?"

Peridot just nodded again, arching her back. This is more or less how it started last time, with the silver haired girl on top of her. Amethyst grinned and moved the tips of her fingers under Peridot's bra, pushing the fabric forward so she could cup a bare tit. She loved the feeling of Peridot's hard nipple in her palm, and apparently, so did Peridot.

"Oh, fuck, Amethyst…" Peridot finally choked out, pulling tightly at the back of Amethyst's shirt and her hair.

"I'm glad you like this." Amethyst whispered, taking Peridot's nipple between her fingers, grinning when the blonde whimpered. "I love the noises you make when I touch you." Amethyst even enjoyed Peridot's whine when she retracted her hand from under the shirt.

"Ame, please…" Peridot could hardly stand it. She rubbed her legs together to give herself any sort of friction, clumsily trying to guide Amethyst's hand back to her chest.

"Nuh uh, Peri." Amethyst refused, pulling her hand out of Peridot's grasp. "When I was… working, I tried to be quick about it, give my customer what they wanted as fast as I could." Amethyst moved her way down Peridot's body as she talked, all the way down to her waist. She pulled Peridot's shirt up just enough to reveal her fail stomach. Amethyst kissed the sensitive skin, and Peridot sighed in little pleasure. "I wanna spend every bit of time I can making you cum."

"God that's dirty." Peridot said. Amethyst chuckled at the little comment and continued kissing whatever she could of Peridot's stomach. Amethyst made her way to the sides, to just above the crotch, and even stuck the tip of her tongue in Peridot's naval. "Hehe, Amethyst, that tickles." Peridot giggled, trying to push Amethyst's head away from her stomach.

"Just some fun with the fun, babe." Amethyst replied. Peridot thought that her girlfriend's smirk was rather sinister.

"Amethyst, what are you- heheheahahAHAHAHAH!" Peridot's question was interrupted when Amethyst attacked her sides and ribs with her fingers, tickling whatever bit of Peridot that she could. The blonde closed her eyes, wiggled and writhed under Amethyst's administrations, her face glowing a bright red.

"Aw, look at that!" Amethyst exclaimed, laughing along with Peridot, running her fingers up and down her girlfriend's writhing body. "My Peri's ticklish!"

"Oh my god Amethyst!" Peridot yelled out between her laughing fits, trying to grab at Amethyst's wrists to stop her cruel assault. "Hahahe-stop! I'm gonna pee!"

Now Amethyst didn't want that. She may be skilled in pleasuring others, but watersports was not one of her kinks. She let up on her tickling, pulling her hands away. Peridot's laughter came to a halt, her breath quick as she tried to catch it. Slowly, her breath steadied itself, and her chest rose and fell in a set pattern. She only opened her eyes again when Amethyst spoke.

"You are so fucking sexy."

Only when she saw Amethyst staring at her, biting her lip, did Peridot realize how she must have looked. Her arms were above her head, her shirt ridden up her body to reveal her stomach along with the bottom half of her bra, and her glasses had become askew. If she could see herself, Peridot would probably agree with Amethyst. Was that narcissistic? Probably.

"Are you just gonna stare at me?" Peridot asked, her lips curling in a smirk, her breath heavy. "Defenseless girl, out of breath, horny as all hell… what are you waiting for?"

"Permission." Amethyst whispered. She leaned forward, placing her hands on either side of Peridot's head. Amethyst lowered herself slowly so that she lay on top of her girlfriend, her mouth just centimeters from Peridot's ear. "Give me permission."

Peridot knew what Amethyst wanted. She felt her breath catch in her throat, never having believed she would ever utter her next sentence un-ironically in her life.

"…fuck me."

The next few minutes were spent with making out and very heavy petting. Since Peridot's shirt did pretty much half of the work for them, the couple decided to just get rid of it. Amethyst pushed the shirt up Peridot's body, detaching their lips from each other just so that the shirt could come off, then they were back to playing a tongue wrestling match. Peridot's glasses had finally fallen off in the process, and they could have sworn they heard a crack as the glasses fell to the floor. Neither of them cared.

As Amethyst played with Peridot's breasts through her bra, slowly working on the clasp to the fabric under the blonde with her other hand, Peridot's hands gripped Amethyst's ass. The silver haired girl chuckled in the kiss, and she lifted her lower back, letting Peridot get a fuller handful.

Amethyst finally worked Peridot's bra from the back and pulled at the fabric. Peridot shifted her arms and body so that her bra could be removed and tossed to the floor. She now lay completely topless under Amethyst, and she enjoyed every second of it as her breasts were toyed with freely. Peridot moaned into their kiss, feeling her cheeks become hot, her arousal growing to tremendous heights. Amethyst could certainly tell, with how hard her girlfriend's nipples felt between her fingers.

"Is it cold in here, babe?" Amethyst asked, pulling away from the kiss to allow herself and Peridot to breathe. "Cuz if your nips were any harder, they could probably cut diamond."

Peridot chuckled, bringing her hands up from Amethyst's butt to slide under the back of her shirt. "Get your hands off my tits then. Don't wanna hurt yourself, do you?"

"A little danger is pretty hot though." Amethyst said, kissing Peridot once more. She then moved down Peridot's body to face her breasts. As Amethyst did this, Peridot kept her grip on Amethyst's shirt, pulling it over her head and tossing it to the floor to join her own clothes. She was pleasantly surprised to find that Amethyst wore no bra. When Peridot did remove Amethyst's shirt and saw her girlfriend smiling coyly up at her, she felt her breath catch. That seemed to be happening a lot tonight.

Before Peridot could ask if Amethyst was about to do what she thought she was going to do, Amethyst answered the question before it was even asked. Kissing one of Peridot's breasts, using her hand to play with the other, Amethyst worked her lips around Peridot's nipple, sucking it as a new born would feed from their mother.

"Mmm…" Peridot groaned, tiling her head back. She lay her hand on the back of Amethyst's head, encouraging her to continue. "That feels weird… but good."

Amethyst didn't answer. She was far too busy at the task at hand. Her tongue swirled around Peridot's nipple, coating it in spit, then Amethyst sucked on it until it was dry again. Peridot bit her lip at the odd but pleasurable feeling, the heat growing in her crotch. She could feel her underwear become wet against her because of her steadily growing arousal. Amethyst was right. Taking one's time felt absolutely amazing.

Amethyst spent quite a few moments working on the one teat, then kissed away from it, to Peridot's cleavage, to the other breast to repeat her actions. Peridot could hardly believe this was happening.

"Ame…!" Peridot whined, bringing one of her hands to her mouth to bite down on her knuckle. This slow teasing, it was almost too much for her. Peridot swore that if this were to go on any longer, biting so heavily on her knuckle, she would start bleeding.

"Be patient, baby." Amethyst said after pulling off of Peridot's nipple with a pop. She kissed her way down the blonde's chest to her stomach once more, just above the hem of those green pajamas she would just love to take off. But then Amethyst stopped. She paused, realizing just how far down Peridot's body she had gone. To Peridot's confusion, and slight annoyance, Amethyst crawled herself back up Peridot's body, face to face. "Are you sure about this?"

Peridot arched an eyebrow. Why wouldn't she be sure about this, with how far they've already gone? "Yeah, I am… why do you ask?"

"I'm just making sure." Amethyst answered with a sigh. She kissed Peridot's forehead, then her cheek, then nibbled on her ear before speaking again. "You know… since you weren't quite ready last time."

"Oh." Peridot said, in half realization and half pleasure from having her face loved on again. Then she giggled, wrapping her arms around Amethyst. The ex-prostitute didn't know what was so funny, but Peridot's laughter was like music to her ears. Peridot gently pulled at Amethyst's hair when she stopped laughing, pulling her away just enough so that they could look in each others eyes. "Back then… I was a stranger to you. When I showed up at Rose's place at the time, I thought you would have remembered me. I thought you would be _so_ happy to see me again, that we would hug and talk about what we've been doing all this time. When you didn't, I just sort of… panicked. Went with the flow and hired you."

"Aw, don't make me feel like shit now, Peri." Amethyst whined jokingly. But the way her eyes looked watery, ready to cry, betrayed her real feelings to Peridot.

"I wasn't ready then…" Peridot continued, smiling as she gently wiped her thumb under Amethyst's eyes, drying any small number of tears that may have fallen. "…because I was a stranger to you. But when we spent that night in your cell, getting your memories of me back, I felt so happy. I wanted to just hold you and cry, I wanted to kiss every inch of you that I could because you remembered me. I'm not a stranger to you anymore. I'm Peridot Olivine, your best friend, and your lover. I'm ready now more than any time I've ever been in my entire life."

"God dammit, Peri…" Amethyst really couldn't find the words. She let herself fall on Peridot's body, embracing her girlfriend with the deepest admiration she could muster. "I love you so fucking much."

"I love you too, Ame." Peridot whispered, holding her girlfriend gently. The couple stayed like this for some time, just enjoying this little respite between their love making. But that was just it. They _were_ in the middle of something. "The question is, are _you_ ready?"

"What do you mean?" Amethyst asked, pushing herself up to look at Peridot again.

Peridot smirked. "The way I see it, we're both topless. Our boobs are basically smashing together. Anyone would think we're both getting off tonight. But with how you've been doing your job for those months, do you think you're ready for it?"

"Is that a challenge?" Amethyst accused. She suddenly let out a gasp and closed her eyes in pleasure. Peridot had moved her hands down to Amethyst's lower back, to that sweet spot she had found earlier when they were in her doorway. At the same time, Peridot's knee came into contact with Amethyst's crotch, applying pressure to her girlfriend's clothed cunt.

"Maybe it is~" Peridot whispered gaily. In one deft movement, she flipped herself and Amethyst over. Now on top, Peridot took control. She played with Amethyst's larger than average breasts with both hands, biting and suckling on Amethyst's neck as her knee rubbed up against Amethyst's pussy.

Now, having always been the pleasurer, Amethyst had no idea that being the pleasured could feel so… good! Rubbing herself with her own fingers was nothing compared to the feeling she got when Peridot used her knee, and this stimulation wasn't even against her bare vagina. She bit her lip hard, even drawing blood as she scratched at Peridot's back.

Peridot let out a little hiss of pain, but she didn't mind it. It made her proud, really. "You're so sensitive, you know that?" She asked, twisting Amethyst's nipples to the point just enough to be painful, but not enough to turn Amethyst off. In fact, the rough action seemed to get the silver haired girl all the more hot and bothered.

"S-shut up." Amethyst could barely talk. The growing feeling in her crotch almost made her regret not ever letting herself experience sex before. Almost. If she had, she wouldn't be sharing this moment with her loving girlfriend. Peridot giggled and moved one of her hands away from Amethyst's breasts, down her body. Slowly, oh so painfully slowly, Peridot pushed the tips of her fingers under Amethyst's pajamas, under her underwear. But here, she stopped, and Amethyst whined.

Peridot breathed hotly against Amethyst's neck, on a bite she had made just seconds before. "Give me permission…" Peridot whispered, copying Amethyst's earlier words.

"N-no…" Amethyst replied.

Peridot grew worried. Had she done something wrong? Had she pushed Amethyst to a point where she felt uncomfortable? Peridot went to pull her hand out of Amethyst's bottoms, but Amethyst grabbed her wrist, keeping her hand where it was. Holding Peridot's hand in place, Amethyst flipped their bodies over again so that she was on top. She slowly ran her free hand down Peridot's body, and mirrored her girlfriend. Amethyst placed her hand in Peridot's pajamas, just under the underwear by the finger tips, just as Peridot's hand was in Amethyst's pants. Amethyst let go of Peridot's wrist, whispering into her ear.

" _Now_ you can fuck me~"

So this is what Amethyst wanted. Peridot felt her girlfriend's hand slide further in her panties and spread her legs to make it easier. Peridot did the same with Amethyst. This is as far as they had gotten last time, only Amethyst was the only one ready to do the pleasing, and Peridot had backed out of it. But now, they were both ready to pleasure one another. Neither of them was going to back away from this.

The first thing Peridot had noticed about Amethyst's pubic bone was that it was trimmed. She definitely felt hair, but it cut in a neat patch, and was nowhere around Amethyst's actual vagina lips. Peridot's crotch, however, was shaven completely bare.

"Ooh, you're so clean down here." Amethyst commented, running her fingers around Peridot's bald pussy. "And so wet~"

"Mm, talk for yourself." Peridot responded, just feeling between Amethyst's legs. There was no pleasure to be had for them just yet. Well, they were both incredibly sensitive at the moment, so any little touch sent little jolts throughout their bodies. But for now, they just wanted to explore. "You're like a waterfall down there."

"What can I say?" Amethyst asked. Finally, after having explored the outer rim of Peridot's vagina, she slid her middle finger between the folds. Peridot gasped and bit her lip, her gaze hazy as new waves of pleasure washed over her. "I mean, just that look of yours is enough to get me off."

For once, Peridot couldn't think of a witty comeback. So instead of continuing the banter with her girlfriend, Peridot grabbed Amethyst by the back of the head and pulled her into a heated kiss. Amethyst smiled, proud of herself for leaving Peridot speechless, but her own moans mixed with the blonde's when she felt a slender finger enter her. She quickly but clumsily followed suit, sliding the tip of her finger in Peridot's pussy. In and out, the girls fucked each other, their tongues exploring each others mouths. Their moans, the smacking of their lips as they made out, the wet sounds of their vaginas as they fingered each other, these were the only noises to fill the room.

Neither of them had ever thought that this would feel so amazing! Peridot, never having inserted anything in herself before, felt completely filled just by Amethyst's first finger. But she felt that Amethyst's pussy around her own digit was a little loose. In an attempt to pleasure the silver haired girl further, Peridot slid both her middle and ring fingers in Amethyst's pussy, the palm of her hand clumsily rubbing against the clit.

Amethyst pulled away from the kiss with a groan and rested her head beside Peridot's. In response to Peridot's action, Amethyst attempted to push her whole finger inside of Peridot. The blonde hissed in pain, scratching Amethyst's back. "Ame… that hurts."

"Oh." Amethyst pulled her finger from Peridot, kissing her neck in apology. "I'm sorry. I didn't think you were so tight."

"I didn't say stop." Peridot bucked her hips, as if trying to get that thick finger back inside of her. "It hurt so good, baby…~"

Amethyst grinned and complied with Peridot's request. Instead of her first finger, Amethyst slid her longer middle finger inside of Peridot, forcing her way in the tight cunt. The blonde bit Amethyst's neck, feeling something tear inside of her this time. That must have been her hymen. Tears of pain rolled down Peridot's cheeks, but she endured it. She knew that in just a few seconds, pleasure would replace all of the pain she felt.

"I felt that." Amethyst whispered, slowly pulling her finger from Peridot, and sliding in again. Gentle, slow. Amethyst went at this pace so that her girlfriend would get used to the feeling more quickly. "Sorry… I kinda broke mine on my own. Saying you could 'pop my cherry' was just talk."

"It's okay." Peridot answered, trying to steady her breath, relaxing her pelvis after the initial pop. Slowly, the pain ebbed away from her. "All… all that matters is the first time, right?"

"Yeah, that's right." Amethyst agreed, humming softly in Peridot's ear. "You're my first, Peri, and I'm yours."

This is what making love should be. Pleasuring one's partner, allowing each other little intervals in which they whisper sweet things to each other. Peridot didn't think she could ever just have straight up sex. To throw caution to the wind, tell someone how much they can't wait to fuck, being the dirtiest they could be, and let that be the only thing that matters. No, that wasn't Peridot.

Being treated so gently, so beautifully by her loving girlfriend, whispering how much they love each other as well as how much they want to pleasure one another… this is what Peridot wants. All the porn she had come across on the internet was nothing compared to the real thing. This was real. Amethyst was real. The pleasure that slowly built to replace the pain Peridot had previously felt was real. And she loved this moment.

But Peridot knew that a moment she would love more, was Amethyst calling out her name. This whole time Amethyst had treated Peridot with care after taking her virginity, Peridot's own fingers had stopped moving. Now that her pain had ebbed away, Peridot's thoughts were back to wanting to pleasure Amethyst.

With a quick twist of her wrist, Peridot's fingers thrust inside of Amethyst's pussy. Amethyst let out a high shriek, continuing to moan loudly with Peridot's administrations. "Oh fuck, Peri, you come back quick!" She yelled, trying to return the favor by quickening the pace with her own finger.

"Mm, fuck me, Ame~" Peridot groaned out, bucking her hips in rhythm to Amethyst's finger. Amethyst did just that, placing her palm against Peridot's clit and using it as leverage to pound Peridot's pussy. Peridot fingered Amethyst in the same fashion, only she added a third finger, and could finally feel how tight the cunt around her digits was.

Their breath was heavy, their breasts rubbing up against each other. Peridot and Amethyst could feel their nipples rubbing together. Fingering each other, leaving hickeys on each others necks and shoulder, the swear word they would utter when a sweet spot was hit every so often. It was all growing to be too much.

Amethyst was the first to succumb to pleasure. Peridot felt Amethyst's pussy become even tighter around her finger, quivering and leaking more juices than before. Amethyst had arched her back during her orgasm, her mouth open in a silent yell. Then her body went limp against Peridot, trying to steady her breathing.

When Amethyst's vagina released its hold on Peridot's fingers, she slowly pulled them out, and her hand from Amethyst's pants. Peridot studied her own fingers, a sense of pride rising within her. Her fingers were covered in what Peridot could only assume was cum. "Did you…?" Peridot trailed off.

"…yeah." Amethyst answered, her voice a low, throaty growl. Though she was a little tired from being thrown from the heights of passion, Amethyst still kept her finger inside of Peridot, moving slowly back and forth.

"Didn't think you'd do it first." Peridot admitted. Though Amethyst had slowed down, it was still plenty pleasurable to Peridot. The fact that Amethyst slowed down at all was the only reason Peridot was able to do anything besides breathe and moan. "You know, with you being more experienced and all."

"I popped you, remember?" Amethyst said, pushing herself up on one arm to come face to face with Peridot. "I figured that put a little stop sign in your big 'O'."

"I was so close though!" Peridot whined, bucking her hips against Amethyst's finger. "You beat me by just a few seconds, please keep fucking me~"

"Mm, so dirty, babe." After having her orgasm, Amethyst's mind had become clear. She remembered what she had wanted to make Peridot do, to hear Peridot say. " _Give me your fingers._ " She whispered.

Peridot wanted to ask Amethyst what she would do with her fingers, but the blonde had a pretty good idea. Mesmerized, Peridot brought her fingers close to Amethyst's hand. With her free hand, Amethyst gripped Peridot's wrist. Slowly, sensually, Amethyst stuck out her tongue and ran it up the back of Peridot's fingers, cleaning her own cum.

Peridot watched as Amethyst sucked her fingers. She felt Amethyst's tongue around them. It was so slimy, so wet, and so… sexy. In the middle of cleaning Peridot's hand, Amethyst pulled her finger from Peridot's pussy. The blonde whined, bucking her hips, practically begging to be filled back up. She felt so empty now.

"Remember what I said when we started, Peri?" Amethyst asked after having finished cleaning Peridot's hand. She let go of Peridot's wrist and held the finger that was in the blonde's cunt in front of her face. "I wanna take all the time I can with you… clean it."

Peridot complied eagerly. She took Amethyst's finger in her mouth, sucking and running her tongue around the digit to clean it of her cum as quickly as possible. Amethyst was being so controlling, so dominant, so fucking hot! Peridot wanted to be fucked, and hard. She thought her own cum tasted pretty sweet, too.

"Good girl." Amethyst praised. While Peridot worked on cleaning her finger, Amethyst used her other hand to slide Peridot's pajamas and underwear down her body. Peridot unconsciously lifted her ass and legs to comply, gasping as her drenched pussy was exposed to the cool air. That in itself stimulated her overly sensitive pussy to tremendous heights.

"Ame, please~!" Peridot practically begged, pulling Amethyst's finger out of her mouth as she arched her back. She spread her legs wider, bending them so that she could lift her pelvis higher in the air, emphasizing her arousal. Her nails dug into Amethyst's back, and her voice was throaty and strained. "I need you…"

"You make it so hard to tease you, baby." Amethyst commented, feeling a little guilty for keeping Peridot on the edge for so long, especially since she had already reached her orgasm. She kissed Peridot's cheek. "But not yet. Almost."

Peridot whined at Amethyst's words, clutching at her own breasts when Amethyst crawled down her body. The silver haired girl left a trail of kisses down Peridot's stomach, as she had done before. Teasing her belly button. Moving lower, kissing Peridot's pubic bone. The blonde thought she was finally going to have her release when Amethyst got between her legs, but was woefully disappointed when she passed her wanting vagina, to her legs.

"Amethyst…" Peridot whispered. She stopped squeezing her breasts, as that was just teasing herself all the more. Instead, she bit down on one of her knuckles, her other had clutching at her sheets as Amethyst worshiped her legs.

Amethyst caressed Peridot's slender legs. They weren't entirely smooth, but the hair that was present was short, light, and hardy even noticeable. She loved kissing them, switching back and forth between the right and the left, all the way down to Peridot's feet and back up again. The whole process lasted barely a minute, but to Peridot, it might as well have been hours. The blonde had given up on begging for Amethyst's pleasure, though. Instead, she waited with baited breath, her pussy quivering and dripping to the sheets below her.

When Amethyst worked her way back up Peridot's crotch, she took the time to fully enjoy her womanly sex. The lips were puffed out in arousal, and the little bit of pink that Amethyst could see was soaked and dripping.

"You have such a pretty pussy, babe." Amethyst said, licking her lips. She slid her hands across Peridot's legs until they were on either side of Peridot's pussy. Using her thumbs, she spread the lips just enough so that she could see more of the pink inside. Amethyst saw a small amount of blood, but that was probably just from taking Peridot's virginity. "So pretty, I could just eat it right up."

"Please…!" Peridot pleaded. The feeling of her vaginal lips being spread, being more exposed to the cool air, it was so agonizingly teasing! She bucked her hips again, searching for something, anything to get her off. "Please, baby, please fuck me!"

"Not yet." Amethyst said. She grinned at Peridot's quiet 'Fuck you', and decided that she had tortured her girlfriend enough. Widening her tongue, Amethyst placed it right under Peridot's vagina, just above her asshole. In one long, slow sweep, Amethyst got a taste of Peridot's cunt.

"Mm, fucking hell…" Peridot whimpered, putting her hand over her mouth. She had bitten her knuckle so hard that she broke skin, so for the sake of her finger, she decided to try and tough it out. "Was that your tongue?" She asked, her voice muffled by her hand.

Amethyst didn't answer, not in the vocal sense, at least. After getting a taste of Peridot's sweet nectar, she only wanted more. So she dug in. Spreading Peridot's cunt lips wider with her thumbs, Amethyst lapped at the juicy pink center, enjoying the taste. It was like honey. Living so richly, getting all the nutrients she could possibly need; Peridot really took care of herself, and that made all the difference in regard of how her pussy tasted.

"So close…" Peridot groaned. She could hardly take it. Her hands moved again, her fingers now curling themselves in Amethyst's hair. The ex-prostitute didn't mind. She was used to having her hair pulled. Amethyst slipped her tongue just inside of Peridot's opening, and even that felt tight on her tongue. She made a mental note to buy some sex toys when she got the money. That'd definitely loosen Peridot up a bit.

But without any toys, Amethyst had to make do. She tongue fucked Peridot, sliding her thumb over to rub at the blonde's engorged clit. Peridot didn't last long with this extra stimulation, and was a lot more vocal than her girlfriend during her orgasm.

"Oh fuck…" Peridot started, pulling hard at Amethyst's hair, closing her thighs around Amethyst's head. She tilted her head back, her voice raising in volume and pitch. "Oh fuck, oh fuck, AmeTHYST~!"

Amethyst was met with a pleasant surprise, Peridot's pussy quivering and pulsing as a single squirt of cum shot from her. Amethyst even had to close one of her eyes as Peridot's juices covered her face. Amethyst grinned and bit down on Peridot's thigh, continuing to pleasure the blonde's clit to help her ride out her orgasm.

Peridot's high lasted a good couple of minutes. Her hips bucked. She bit her lip. She held Amethyst's hair tightly in her fingers while this wave of euphoria rushed over her. And then it was over. Peridot sighed, letting herself relax. She released Amethyst's hair, laying her hands on her stomach. Her legs slowly straightened out, widening again to release Amethyst's head from their vice. Most importantly, Peridot took deep breaths, climbing down from the insane heights she had been previously on.

"Holy shit, babe…" Amethyst said, her voice sounding like a mixture of awe and complaint. She pulled her head from between Peridot's legs to look up at her girlfriend, or the part of Peridot that wasn't shadowed out by her one closed eye. "Look at me."

Peridot really didn't want to do anything except sleep after such an experience. But she did love Amethyst, and figured she would humor the silver haired girl. So Peridot lazily opened an eye. When she saw that her cum had literally covered Amethyst's face and was dripping from her chin, Peridot's eyes widened, and she covered her mouth. "I am _so_ sorry!"

"Didn't think you were a squirter." Amethyst commented, standing up on her knees. She licked her lips, trying to clean as much of her own face as possible without using a cloth. Peridot thought that was sexy, but this was not the time to get aroused all over again.

"I-I'm not!" Peridot squeaked out, completely embarrassed. "At least I never did that when I touched myself. You just made me feel so good, and I love you so much, maybe that's what made me- oh god, I'm sorry!"

"It's cool, really!" Amethyst tried to reassure Peridot, laughing. She wiped her face and looked at her hand, which looked as if she had just dunked it in a bucket of water. "But holy fuck, you must have cum hard."

"I did." Peridot admitted, blushing. Suddenly self-conscious, she covered her breasts with one arm and her vagina with her other hand, averting her eyes from Amethyst. "It felt so good… I still feel it."

"You know that's called afterglow, right?" Amethyst backed up and stood from the bed she and Peridot were on. Hooking her thumbs in the waistband of her pajamas, she pulled both them and her underwear down and off of her body. Kicking them off, she stretched her arms above her head. "And as much as I just _love_ being covered in pussy, I think I'm ready for a shower."

"I'll come with you." Peridot said. Then she quickly turned to look at Amethyst, her face a deeper shade of red. "I-if that's okay, I mean!"

The look Amethyst gave Peridot just screamed 'are you fucking serious?'. Peridot realized how stupid it sounded a few seconds after she had said it. She tried to redeem herself, putting up a false expression of confidence. "You know, I have to ask. I don't just wanna assume, you know?"

Amethyst hid her mouth behind her hand, really trying not to laugh. Peridot puffed out her cheeks, pulling her legs up to herself and crossing her arms. "Well fine, if you don't _want_ me to join you..."

"You're so cute."

Just like that, Peridot's cold stare softened. How could she possibly even pretend to be mad when Amethyst was so… genuine? Amethyst put one knee on the bed, leaning over just enough to hold her hand out for Peridot to take. "Come on, we could both use it."

Peridot sighed. "Fine. But I'm not cute." Peridot took Amethyst's hand, and before the silver haired girl could say anything to protest Peridot's words, she continued.

"I'm _sexy~_."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Thank you all so much for sticking with me up to this point. I literally can't express my gratitude in enough words. I am so incredibly happy that I started writing this, and I'm even more happy that the majority of you guys seem to enjoy it.**

 **This is probably my longest chapter to date that isn't cut up into different parts. My longest chapter, in actuality, is probably the last chapter to "Destruction of Property." Even then, I had it cut up by the days of the week, like Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, etc. So if you wanna go by the longest running, "not broken" chapter, this would be it. And it's mostly smut.**

 **I honestly didn't expect to write so much, but I'm glad I did. Like I said before, think of this as sort of a hallway point for the whole story. But don't worry. The whole "Peridot might go to jail thing" will be resolved before the story ends, we'll see more of Garnet, Ruby, and Sapphire, and a couple of other characters will make an appearance, including Yellow Diamond.**

 **Happiness, drama, death, and discourse await you, so keep yourselves prepared.**

 **Also keep in mind that I have a general idea about how I want to finish this, but I have** _ **nothing**_ **planned. What's going to happen is just as a surprise to me as it is to you.**

 **Again, thank you, from the bottom of my intestines. I would say heart, but my intestines can be stretched out for miles, so I've heard. So yeah. Not awkward at all.**

 **Be on the lookout for the next chapter of "Love is Weird." And as always, so long for now.**


	29. Jet Lag

When Peridot opened her eyes early that morning, laying on her stomach, she felt what could only be described as an odd sensation.

No, it wasn't from being completely naked in a guest bed after she and Amethyst had ruined her sheets the night before. It wasn't from having Amethyst's naked body beside her, softly snoring away on her back with a leg hanging off of the bed. And it certainly wasn't because she had woken up to the realization that she wasn't a virgin anymore. No, the reason Peridot felt weird this morning was because she had woken up _before_ Lapis had come to get her.

It's not like Peridot and Amethyst were discreet about their move to a separate room. They had left both doors wide open, so Lapis could have easily seen that Peridot wasn't in her bed, and just as easily discern where she was. So Peridot knew that Lapis hasn't made her morning rounds yet. Oddly enough, even though Peridot hated being woken up in the morning, this time she felt... good.

Peridot pushed herself up on the bed and studied her bed partner. Amethyst looked so beautiful. The blankets only covered her bottom half save for her leg, which left her top exposed to the air. Amethyst's facial expression was one of pure bliss, to such an extent that the tiniest amount of drool escaped the corner of her mouth. Peridot contemplating waking Amethyst up with a surprise quickie, but she decided against it. Even if they were dating, and they had just had sex the night before, Amethyst was asleep. It would still be considered unconsentual, even if the silver haired girl were to wake up and join Peridot in her actions.

Instead, Peridot stood from the bed. Stretching her arms above her head, she took a quic look outside of a window and discovered that the sun had only just risen over the horizon. No wonder Lapis wasn't up and about yet. Peridot wondered how her date with Jasper went.

Peridot thought about taking the blanket from Amethyst to use as a cover up until she could get to her room and find actual clothes, but she didn't want to disturb her girlfriend. So she decided to go in the nude instead. It's not like anyone else was awake to see her, right? Scratching her head, Peridot made her way out of the guest room. Though, she still wanted to be cautious, looking both ways in the hallway before making a mad dash to her bedroom.

Once safely in her room, Peridot closed the door behind her, leaning against it as she caught her breath. Aside from having sex, that was probably the boldest thing she's done. Well, that's not true. Hiring a prostitute and telling her mother that she hired a prostitute was the boldest thing she's ever done. Peridot sighed after catching her breath and pushed herself off of her door. She walked over to her dresser which lay against the wall to the far right and opened one of the drawers. She grabbed a green pair of underwear, a white oversized tee shirt, and loose pajama pants. Obviously, she didn't feel like dressing up that day, even foregoing a bra. It's not like she had much of a chest to cover up in the first place.

Before getting dressed, having laid her clothes on whatever clean part of her bed she could find, Peridot observed herself in the mirror of her dresser. She had multiple bite marks and hickeys on her neck, several bruises on her breasts, and one giant mark on her thigh. All of these marks screamed the message "AMETHYST WAS HERE" to anyone that might see them. But Peridot didn't care. She enjoyed that night, and no one was going to tell her what she could and couldn't do with her body.

After inspecting her body, Peridot dressed herself and picked up her glasses from the floor. They had definitely broken. Now that the night of fun was over, she was starting to regret having mistreated her glasses so. Sighing, Peridot placed her broken glasses on her nightstand and stripped her bed of its sheet and blanket, intending to carry them down to the washers to save Lapis a trip up the stairs. She also collected her and Amethyst's clothes, positive that Lapis wouldn't want to handle panties that have been soaked in vaginal fluids. She was sure that Lapis would clean up the broken glass from the floor later.

Now the hard part was actually getting down all of these stairs without her glasses. With all of the clothes, sheets, and blankets she carried, looking down the staircase was like looking at her own death. Taking a deep breath, Peridot decided that she would move one step at a time to avoid injury. Clothes in hand, she felt her way down the first step with her right foot, and followed suit with the left. Down the stairs she went, one step at a time. She was more than half way down the whole staircase when the stupidest idea entered her head. _Hey, this isn't so bad. I can just walk down the rest normally._ With complete confidence, Peridot worked her way to the next step with her right foot, then passed over it with her left to reach the step afterward. She missed entirely, stepping passed the intended target.

With the unexpected misstep, Peridot went falling forward. Instinctively, she held the dirty bed sheets and clothes tightly to herself, hoping that they would break her fall. Her eyes shut tight, she waited for the inevitable crack of a bone. But it never came. Peridot expected her stomach to have that weird sensation like when she rode an amusement park ride with a sudden drop, but it never came. In fact, the fall that she had expected to already be part of never came either. It was as if she were suspended in space by some unknown force. Then a low, authoritative voice spoke to her.

"Peridot, are you alright?"

Let the unknown force be known. Above everything, Peridot didn't expect this person to have caught her. Upon further inspection, Peridot found that she was being held on the stairs with one hand from the other side of the clothes pile she carried. She closed her eyes even more tightly, afraid to move, afraid to speak. Why did it have to be _her,_ of all people?! Why did _she_ have to show up the morning after Peridot had been fucked for the first time?! She supposed it didn't matter, anyway. The woman was going to find out one way or another, so why not let it be by being smothered with hers and Amethyst's dirty underwear? Sighing, Peridot answered.

"Yes, mother."

* * *

Peridot sat in front of Yellow Diamond and her desk in her study. Yellow Diamond, or YD for short, sat across from Peridot, her elbows rested on her desk with her chin resting on her interlocked fingers. The study itself was a rather small room, with few trinkets to decorate it. Just a laptop computer sat to one side of the desk, pen and paper on the other side. The older woman claimed that any more than this would distract her from her work. YD herself looked like hell. Her eyes were bloodshot, most likely from the jet lag, her clothes were crumpled, and Peridot could swear she saw a stain on the yellow blouse her mother wore. What was it? Peridot hoped it was peas.

After saving Peridot from a tumble, the older woman helped her from the stairs and took the laundry to the laundry room for Lapis to find. She then lead her daughter, without a word, to her study. Peridot assumed it was so that they could talk about the hickeys on her neck. She had already decided to tell the truth, so she was ready for it. Head held high, Peridot waited patiently to be questioned.

"I missed you."

That was the only thing Peridot didn't expect. She blushed, and couldn't help the sheepish smile that came to her face. Rubbing the back of her head, Peridot averted her eyes. "Yeah..? I missed you too, mom."

YD smiled and leaned back in her chair, throwing all formalities out the window as she crossed her arms. "You didn't miss me too much, I'm guessing. Not when you have your little girlfriend to keep you company."

"Oh, Amethyst?" Peridot asked, her face glowing even brighter. "Y-yeah. She's amazing to me."

"I could tell just by looking at you, dear. You had a good night."

"Oh the best!" Peridot practically gushed. It was odd. She was so ready to answer any questions her mother might ask her, but even without being questioned, Peridot spilled everything. "She treated me so wonderfully! I've never felt so enthralled by another person before. I couldn't stop shaking during, and her tongue, _god_ her tongue!"

"Oookaayyy, I think that's enough about your sex life." YD interrupted Peridot's rant. That last bit of information was a bit too much for her, but she couldn't help the smile that curled her lips. Her baby was growing into a fine woman.

"Sorry." Peridot apologized, hugging herself at the arms to control her excitement. "She's just such a beautiful person. Never make me feel uncomfortable, always making sure I was okay with what she was doing. She's like an angel among demons."

"I'm glad you found yourself such a partner. And she's the girl you used to be friends with in the orphanage?" Peridot nodded. "That's even better! I'm happy for you."

"Thanks, mom." Peridot was happy for herself too. Her mother was so caring, understanding. She was nothing like the woman she was when she left for Italy a month ago. "Oh, how was your flight?"

"Oh don't get me started." YD answered, clear hatred in her voice. "I had to fly coach because all of the first class seats were taken. Normally I wouldn't have minded, but I got seated next to a mother and her baby. Normally, _that_ wouldn't have bothered me either, but the damned thing got sick and puked on me."

"I was hoping that was peas." Peridot commented. YD nodded and sighed.

"I wish it was."

"And what about your hair?" Peridot asked.

"Oh, this?" YD brought a hand up to run her finger through whatever hair she could. Before she had left for Italy, her hair was large in volume and well groomed. But now, it was short, almost to her scalp, and whatever little of it was spiked. Peridot didn't dare say her mother looked like a butch lesbian. "Someone got drunk on New Years decided it'd be funny to put gum in my hair. It was too much trouble to deal with, so I just shaved it all off."

"Like I'd believe that." Peridot crossed her arms. "There's absolutely no way you'd shave your head just for a stick of gum."

"Well what about your girlfriend? Isn't she supposed to be in jail?" YD asked. Peridot couldn't help but feel as if her mother was avoiding the topic, but she decided to drop it for now. Instead, she prepared herself. It finally came. The talk.

"Garnet, a police woman, let her out early."

"What, for good behavior?" YD asked, skeptical. "When was she let out?"

"A week ago."

"So she's only been in jail for a little more than a week, when the best she was supposed to get out of that for good behavior was two months?"

"Garnet pulled some strings for her."

"Well clearly." YD crossed her arms again, indignation clear in her voice. "What could possibly merit for such behavior?"

"Because I killed someone?"

Peridot thought that she'd never seen Yellow Diamond look so perplexed in her entire life. She could understand why. She had just blurted out that she took someone's life, just like that. What was she thinking when she said that? Maybe it was to defend Garnet's decision. Maybe Peridot thought this would explain why Amethyst had been let out early. But now, as her mother silently stared at her, she had no idea.

"Peridot.." YD finally spoke. "What do you-?"

"I killed someone." Peridot repeated. Her face was stone cold, void of emotion, but she couldn't stop the tears that threatened to fall as she told her mother the events that lead up to this conversation. Peridot recounted how she had just come back to Amethyst's apartment from dropping Amethyst off at jail. She told her mouth about how she helped Pearl with her little soup kitchen, about how they ran out of bowls, about how one man got impatient for food and took a hostage. Peridot repeated what had happened when the man started slamming Pearl's head against the counter, how Peridot took the gun from the back of Pearl's pants, and how she pointed and fired the gun at the man. This whole time, Peridot looked at her mother, clutching the leggings of her pajamas.

Peridot told YD about how Pearl comforted her until Amethyst and Dr. Maheswaran came to the apartment. About how she and Amethyst showered together while Pearl and the doctor waited outside for them, playing stakeout. About how Amethyst sung this song to her until she had fallen asleep. About how Amethyst's landlady, Rose, tried to comfort her.

"Rose Quartz?" Yellow Diamond asked, and Peridot nodded.

"Rose Universe now, but yeah."

"I see.. Please continue."

"There's not much more to it, really." Peridot said with a dry chuckle. "Rose's husband, Greg, drove me and Amethyst here, and for the past week, Amethyst has been staying here, comforting me. We haven't heard from Garnet or anyone else since then."

"Did you tell Lapis and Jasper about this?"

"Please don't be angry with them." Peridot pleaded, wiping the tears from her cheeks. "I-I ordered them not to tell you. I didn't want you to worry about me, or-or how the company would look."

"You think I give a damn about the company?" Peridot was surprised when her mother stood from her chair. She winced, expecting some sort of sharp pain like a slap across her cheek, but she was surprised to feel strong arms wrap around her shoulders. Yellow Diamond was hugging her. "Oh sweetie... I'm so sorry you had to go through that."

Peridot couldn't believe this. She was actually being comforted so closely by this woman she had thought was a cruel business woman. But here Yellow Diamond was, treating Peridot like a human being. Like her own child. Peridot allowed herself this motherly affection and sobbed. She wrapped her arms around her mother's waist, her tears staining her mother's blouse. It's not like it could get any dirtier than being puked on by a baby.

Peridot allowed these tears to fall. She knows she needed this after what she went through. Sure, Pearl helped her, and so did Amethyst. They both helped tremendously, but there was nothing quite like a mother's comforting embrace. After a few minutes, YD pulled away from her daughter, cupping her cheeks in her hands and wiping away stray tears with her thumbs.

"You're being so strong, Peridot."

Peridot almost laughed, but she couldn't stop her wide smile. "I don't think so. I'm a freaking wreck."

"That's just part of your strength." YD stood up straight, hands on her hips. "Anyway, I'm going to get a shower. You go wake your little girlfriend up. I plan on having a talk with her when I'm out."

"You're not gonna do the whole 'did you have sex with my daughter' thing, are you?" Peridot asked, standing from her chair. YD shrugged.

"Maybe. Or I'll pretend she's still a prostitute and pay her for her services to you. Which do you think would be funnier?"

Peridot didn't answer. Instead, she just wrapped her arms around her mother again, holding her closely. "I love you, mom."

YD smiled and returned the hug, sighing in the embrace. "I love you too, sweetie."

* * *

Amethyst had shifted position from her back to her side in her sleep. The pillow she clung too acted as Peridot, and since she was still asleep, Amethyst actually believed it was. Her sleep had been relatively dreamless, save for a few scenes reenacting the previous night. Snoring away, the only thing that could possibly wake her up was an earthquake. That and the familiarity of Peridot's hand on her back.

"Amethyst." Peridot whispered, gently shaking her girlfriend from behind. "Amethyst, get up."

Amethyst only grumbled in response, tightening herself into a ball, clinging more tightly to her pillow. Peridot sighed. She really didn't want to put up with this shit. "Ame, come on. My mom came back from Italy this morning."

"Tell her I said hi." Amethyst mumbled in response. "Let me sleep all day."

"She wants to talk to you, babe, come on." Peridot pleaded. She climbed into the bed, practically laying herself on top of Amethyst. She knew that being cute would win her girlfriend over eventually. "Come on.. What can I do to get you up?"

It certainly was hard for Amethyst to sleep with Peridot all over her like that. She contemplated just ignoring the blonde, but she knew she couldn't keep it up forever. So Amethyst decided to make the most of waking up. Turning her head, she captured Peridot's mouth in a kiss. Peridot thought this was what Amethyst was going to be after. Smiling in the kiss, she cupped Amethyst's cheek, allowing them the bliss of tasting each others lips that they had explored so thoroughly.

Amethyst was quick to become vocal, moaning as she placed a hand on the back of Peridot's head, deepening the kiss. Tongue came into play, and before Amethyst could move her other hand to grab Peridot's ass, her girlfriend pulled away.

"As much as I'd _love_ to have a morning quickie..." Peridot started, her breath heavy. "...and oh my god would I love to, but we really do have to talk to my mom."

"I thought you wanted to put off the whole 'you killed a guy' thing." Amethyst said. "I mean, not that I'm not proud of you, but why the sudden change of heart?"

Peridot averted her eyes, feeling a little guilty that she hadn't woken Amethyst up earlier so that they could face her mother together. "I kinda already told her."

"Oh my god.." Amethyst sat up, forcing Peridot to move off of her. She gripped Peridot's hands in hers, concern evident in her expression. "Are you alright? You could have woken me up earlier, I could have been there for you."

"Amethyst, I'm fine." Peridot said with a smile. "It went a lot better than I thought it would, she was very comforting."

Amethyst sighed and pulled Peridot into a tight hug. "That's fantastic, babe. I'm happy for you."

"Me too." Peridot was truly happy. For the first time in her life, she felt that all was well. Her mother loved her, she had regained her childhood friend as well as a lover, and she was fairly certain that she could handle whatever jail time she received, if at could possibly ruin this happiness?

"I thought I said to wake your girlfriend up, not have sex with her." Peridot and Amethyst looked toward the doorway to see Yellow Diamond. The woman seems to have already finished her shower, since she was dressed in a golden brown bathrobe. She was leaning on the door frame, her arms crossed.

"Oh hey Miss D!" Amethyst recognized Yellow Diamond's voice from the one phone call they shared and raised a hand in greeting. Peridot's face went alight in a blush, as Amethyst seemed to have no sense of modesty whatsoever. Then Amethyst put a finger to her chin in thought. "Or is it Mrs. D? Are you married?"

Yellow Diamond just arched an eyebrow while Peridot struggled to cover Amethyst with a blanket. "What the hell are you thinking?!"

Amethyst looked confused at Peridot for a second before it clicked in her head. She smacked herself in the forehead. "Oh, right. I should stand to greet your mom, shouldn't I?"

"No!" Peridot yelled, and YD couldn't help but chuckle at her daughter's expression. "You're naked, you _clod_!"

"Oh, you've done it now." YD said with a chuckle, much to Amethyst's confusion.

Amethyst scratched her head, unsure of what Peridot was getting at. "Babe, we're all girls here. What's there to hide?"

"That's my mother!" Peridot yelled, gesturing toward Yellow Diamond. "And you're my girlfriend!" She gestured to Amethyst. "You think I want other women seeing you naked, especially my mother?!" Another exasperated gesturing to YD.

The dim light in Amethyst's head finally brightened. Her eyes widened, and it finally clicked. Before, Amethyst was okay with being naked around anyone. Modesty was not in her vocabulary. Even if she did think she could lose a few pounds, she knew that she was hot. But now that she was in a committed relationship...

"Oh shit babe, I'm sorry." Amethyst grabbed the blankets and wrapped them around her chest. Peridot sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose as Amethyst covered herself. "My spare set of clothes are in your room, can you go grab them?"

"Yeah, sure, just..." Peridot made her way off the bed, practically running out of her room passed her mother. "...just keep yourself covered!" And then Amethyst and YD were left alone.

The silence that followed was awkward. Amethyst averted her eyes from the older woman, letting out a dry cough into her hand. YD checked her nails, making sure there wasn't any baby puke under them after having cleaned her shirt in the shower so that the stain wouldn't spread to her other clothes in the wash. The two were almost glad when Peridot returned, holding a plastic bag filled with Amethyst's clothes.

"I got them." Peridot tossed the bag onto the bed, then turned to her mother. "Can you wait out here while Amethyst gets dressed?"

"Of course." YD agreed, stepping out of the doorway. Once her mother was clear, Peridot closed the door. She turned her back to the door and leaned against it, sinking to the floor while hiding her face in her hands. Amethyst stood from the bed and opened her bag of clothes. Inside was a purple sweater, a gray tank top, black sweatpants, a pair of white socks, and black panties. All this in hand, she started getting dressed.

"Well that was awkward." Amethyst said to break the silence, stepping into her underwear.

"You fucking think?!" Peridot yelled from the floor, looking up at Amethyst. "I'm not angry with you, so please don't think that I am, but seriously?"

"Cut me some slack." Amethyst defended herself, sitting on the bed to put on her socks. "You're the first real relationship I've ever had. Every other person I've serviced, it was quick, and didn't mean shit. Forgive me for not knowing how to act like a fucking girlfriend."

"I dunno, I thought you'd know to act differently!" Peridot said in frustration. "I mean, you're my first relationship too, but I know I don't want you being seen naked by other women, or anyone for that matter."

"Well like I said.." Amethyst started, pulling her tank top over her head. "..even though I've never been in a relationship, I _was_ a whore."

"I _know,_ but- "

"But nothing." Amethyst interrupted Peridot. She stood from the bed, putting on her pants as she talked. "Peri, I was paid to suck dick in an alley. I was paid to just sit there with my tits out while three different fuckers jacked off on me. Like all other whores, I had a pimp that wanted to try and fuck me. You know _where_ that fucker Marty practically ordered me to bend over for him?"

Peridot shook her head. She didn't feel like talking.

"We were in a god damned park, Peri." Amethyst spat out. "We were walking down the trail, and he told me to lean against a tree so he could stick that prick of his in me. I said no, he _insisted-_ " Amethyst said this word with more intensity, which lead Peridot to believe that Marty was more than verbal with his 'insisting'. " -and I kicked him in the balls and ran off. I told Vidalia what he'd done, we split, and I never saw that asshole again." Amethyst finished dressing herself, pulling her head and arms through the sleeves of her sweater. "So again, forgive me if it took me this long to figure out that modesty is a _fucking_ privilege and not something I just had to live without."

Peridot had no words. How could she? Amethyst was right, in everything she said. Peridot had forgotten that, even though they grew up in the same orphanage, their lives took vastly different turns. Amethyst was never adopted, left to fend for herself in the streets, going door to door to ask for a place to stay the night as she traveled. Peridot had everything she ever needed handed to her on a silver platter.

"Are we fighting?" Peridot asked, in possibly the most helpless voice Amethyst had heard since what Peridot had said to keep Amethyst in the bathroom after Peridot killed that man. Amethyst sighed and sat on the bed, resting her head in her open hand, elbow on her knee.

"I don't know. Never been in a relationship, remember? A real one, at least."

"...I'm sorry."

"It's okay." Amethyst let out a dry chuckle. "Now I know to keep my boobs in my shirt, though."

"Yeah." Peridot didn't want this to be their first fight, and over something so stupid. "I'm a real bitch, aren't I?"

"Yep." Amethyst agreed without a second thought. "But you're my bitch, and I gotta deal with you."

Peridot chuckled, shaking her head. She couldn't believe this. Such a stupid reason to fight, especially with such a beloved person. "I love you."

"I love you too, bitch." Amethyst said, grinning as she slid off of the bed. She walked toward Peridot, holding her hand out for the blonde to take. "Now come on. We can't keep your butch mom waiting."

"Oh my god, do _not_ tell her that." Peridot said with a laugh as she took Amethyst's hand. Helping her girlfriend to her feet, Amethyst pulled Peridot into a hug, putting her lips to Peridot's in a longing kiss. Lord knows they both needed a bit of loving after the little drama they just went through. Amethyst pulled away, grinning at Peridot's dazed expression. It was always amazing to see her like that.

"No promises~"

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **So, Yellow Diamond has entered the story. If anyone is wondering where Lapis and Jasper are, it's still early in the morning. (Not to mention they probably had some fun themselves when they returned from their date.) But they will show up in the next chapter, I can assure you.**

 **Any reviews are greatly appreciated, and if you have any questions about my story, or just want to talk, feel free to message me.**

 **Be on the lookout for the next chapter of "Hell Hath no Fury." And as always, so long for now.**


	30. Meeting the Parent

To say that Peridot was a bit nervous would be an understatement. To be more accurate, she would take a stab in the dark and call this feeling an overwhelming sense of crippling anxiety.

Peridot and Amethyst sat in Yellow Diamond's office. There was originally only one chair in front of YD's desk, so Amethyst and Peridot had to grab one from the kitchen. In hindsight, Peridot would have rather stayed standing. At least that would give her a quick escape route if things were to go south with this meeting. Yellow Diamond sat at the other side of her desk, her hands on her desk, folded over one another as she studied her daughter's girlfriend.

Amethyst, unlike Peridot, was acting fairly lax in this situation. She looked around the room, seemingly surprised that it was so barren. With Peridot's description of how YD liked to live extravagantly, Amethyst expected her study, of all places, to be the most decorated with little knick knacks and antiques. Was there a reason for the room to be so bare? She would have to ask later. Or would that be rude for Amethyst to do? She didn't really have any idea of what was rude or not in the real world.

"You're awfully quiet." Yellow Diamond commented. Peridot didn't know whether to take this as a good or bad sign that her mother spoke first, but she didn't have time to think as Amethyst responded almost immediately.

"Yeah, sorry." Amethyst apologized. She just decided to treat this like any other conversation. "I, uh... feel kinda awkward about not really covering myself up for you."

YD shook her head. "It's nothing to apologize for. You don't have anything I haven't seen before."

"Well I figured that, but you know..." Amethyst rubbed the back of her head. "...I already told Peri, but I never really got the concept of modesty during my life, in my line of work, you know? I wanna change that. Of course because I'm in an actual relationship, but I also kinda wanna turn my life around."

Yellow Diamond listened intently to Amethyst's words. Normally, she wouldn't have given a second thought to anything a prostitute had to say to her, but Peridot had spoken so highly of this woman that she was inclined to give her a chance. And, honestly, YD was glad she did. She smiled.

"I'm glad you're starting to turn your life around." YD said. "And I'm glad that my daughter has played some part in your, ah... rehabilitation, for lack of a better word."

"Oh yeah, I owe everything to her." As Amethyst said this, she absentmindedly took Peridot's hand in hers. "I mean, there's bound to be a few snags, but we're sure to make it work."

"I don't doubt that. I'm sorry to say that I overheard one of those little snags. It sounds like you've had a pretty rough life."

Amethyst shrugged. "I wouldn't really call it rough. I mean, I loved what I did, even if some of it was a bit degrading. When I dumped my pimp, it was pretty smooth sailing for me."

"Was it really, though?" YD asked, leaning forward. "I wanted to ask you about your hair. Did you dye it?"

"I did, yeah." Amethyst ran her free hand through her hair, examining it. "Should be washing out soon, though. It's been a while."

"When did you dye it?"

"Since I started whoring and got my first pay." Amethyst responded, twirling her hair in her fingers, thinking. "I think a few months ago. Almost half a year."

"I was wondering why it was white." Peridot commented. She squeezed Amethyst's hand gently. "Honestly, I thought it was because you were stressed out."

Amethyst laughed. "Stressed? Babe, you know me. I'm never stressed."

"Well I'm not a doctor, but it's possible." YD said. "From what I've heard about you, Amethyst, you've fended for yourself for a long time before your previous occupation. When did you leave the orphanage?"

"When I was sixteen, I think." Amethyst responded. "I travelled for a couple of years before I got to New York. Hitching rides, hopping on train cars, staying the night at strangers's if I paint their fence or cut their grass; you know, that kinda stuff."

"You can't have been very well fed doing that." YD said with a concerned tone of voice. "How did you come across food, or water, or even sleep when you couldn't find a place to stay?"

"I slept on some grass, usually." Amethyst replied, as if she were talking about a Sunday stroll. "Sometimes I'd find a little box to sleep in with another homeless person. I woke up with bugs in my hair sometimes, but I always washed them out in a river, or someone's water hose if they let me use it. As for food, I didn't really eat much. A few berries, mushrooms, an occasional meal from a nice family." She looked down at her stomach, patting it with a chuckle. "I could stand to lose a few pounds, though."

YD shook her head. "I'm no doctor, but if anything, you need to eat more if you want to lose weight."

"You're right. You're not a doctor." Amethyst of course didn't mean what she said in an incredulous way, but she didn't see how she could possibly lose weight by eating _more_ food.

"She's right." Peridot said, and Amethyst gave her girlfriend a disbelieving look. Before Amethyst could question her, Peridot continued. "If you're really worried about your figure, you need to get your three healthy meals a day. Or five small meals. Eating so little ruins your metabolism and makes your body store fat to keep you from starving to death."

"So your saying I _do_ look fat." Amethyst asked, smirking. Peridot furiously shook her head.

"No, Ame, you know you're beautiful to me!"

"I know, babe, I know." Amethyst said, bringing Peridot's hand to her lips in a small kiss. "Honestly though, you sound like a walking, talking Wikipedia."

"There's no shame in being smart." Peridot took her hand away from Amethyst's and crossed her arms, but smiled nonetheless. "If it wasn't for that, I would've never met my mom."

Peridot and Amethyst looked at Yellow Diamon expecting to see a smiling and bashful mother. They expected YD to be modest, claiming that she was just lucky enough to climb to the top of a multi million dollar company to be able to adopt a daughter she loved so dearly. But the couple's expectant looks of happiness turned into that of horror at what they saw. Yellow Diamond, with her hand covering her mouth and eyes wide, had blood seeping from her mouth and passed her fingers.

"...mom?"

YD stood from her seat, clutching at her chest with her free hand as she fell into a coughing fit. Small drops of blood fell on her desk and her bathrobe. Though in small numbers, this terrified Peridot. She quickly stood from her dining chair, knocking it over as she ran to her mother's side.

"Oh god, Amethyst, call an ambulance!" Peridot yelled hysterically, feeling tears sting at her eyes. She placed a hand on YD's back, not sure what to do. Her terror only grew as her mother's back convulsed in rhythm to her coughing. "No, fuck that, go get Jasper!"

Amethyst didn't move. She stared wide eyed, practically frigid, gripping the arms of her chair tightly. Of course she would have moved, but only if Yellow Diamond hadn't been shaking her head the whole time Peridot was making demands.

"N-no..." YD said between coughs, which were becoming less frequent, and less bloody. "I'm fine."

"You're not fine!" Peridot argued. "You're coughing up blood! Fucking blood!"

"It's... it's just my blood pressure." YD explained. That didn't really calm Peridot down.

"If you're blood pressure is high enough to cough up blood, then you need to go to the hospital!"

"I said no!" YD yelled, standing up straight as she looked down at Peridot, who flinched. YD sighed, reaching to open her desk drawer for a box of tissues that lay within. "Sweetie, I'm fine." She said, taking a tissue to clean her mouth and her hands. "I've had high blood pressure to begin with. The same thing happened after I got off my flight to Italy. Going up and down from a mile in the air will do that to me."

"B-but you've been on trips before and you never- "

"Because I never let you see me like that." YD quickly interrupted, placed a hand on Peridot's shoulder after throwing the bloody, balled up tissue back in the drawer. "I was afraid you would overreact, and look at what just happened."

"Of course I'd overreact, you had blood coming out of your mouth!" Peridot yelled. Her fists were balled and her face contorted in fear and rage.

"But I'm fine." YD repeated, sighing as she returned to her seat. She placed her hand against her forehead. "Why don't you go outside, get some fresh air? You could use it after I scared you like that. I'm sorry, sweetie."

"I-it's fine, but..." Peridot paused, sniffing and wiping her eyes with the palm of her hand. "Just tell me what's up next time, okay? You scared me to death."

"Holy shit." Amethyst finally found her voice, putting a hand over her chest and taking a deep breath. "Talk about drama."

"Please, this barely qualifies." YD scoffed. She leaned back in her chair, sighing. "A little scare like this would be nothing to what you felt last week, I'm sure." She said, addressing Peridot.

"I don't care about that." Peridot replied quietly, gripping her arm. "I thought I was losing you. Recovering from that was hard, but I don't know what I'd do if I lost you."

"I'm fine." YD repeated again. She was getting tired of being worried over. "Honestly, there's no need to worry about me. I'm in perfect health. Now please, do yourself a favor and go outside. Take a walk, maybe tell Jasper and Lapis that I've returned. Where are they, anyway?" YD asked in realization. "I didn't see Lapis around. She should be working on her morning routine by now."

"Oh they're a thing now." Amethyst answered, not quite as affected as her girlfriend was by YD's coughing. "You know, dating."

"I see." YD didn't seem surprised at all. In fact, one could even assume that she had suspected this. "I'll have to make sure they understand that employee relationships must abide by certain rules. Peridot." She looked to her daughter, who's eyes were red from crying. "Please go get Jasper and Lapis for me. The fresh air will do you some good. I don't want to repeat myself again."

Peridot nodded, but hesitated to leave the room. "O-okay, but- "

"I'd also like to speak to Amethyst alone." YD interrupted.

Peridot bit her lip. She didn't know what to do. She was just terrified a few seconds ago, then relieved, and now she wanted to stay with her mother in case of a relapse. But if she didn't do as her mother said and actually go outside to get a little breathing room for herself, her hair would eventually turn as white as Amethyst's. Peridot was pulled from her thoughts when Amethyst's hand slipped into hers. The ex-prostitute had stood from her chair to stand beside her girlfriend to offer some comfort.

"Seriously, if your mom says she's fine, then she's fine." Amethyst tried to reassure. "And I'll be fine too. You go and get a little alone time okay?"

"...alright." Peridot finally relented with a sigh. Amethyst smiled and kissed her girlfriend's cheek.

"Good, now get your ass out of here. And say hi to Lapis and Jasper for me."

Peridot smirked, feeling a bit more at ease. "Sure. I'll make sure they know you're free for a booty call."

"The sex wasn't so bad that you're pushing me on other people, was it?"

YD cleared her throat, catching the couple's attention. "I'd appreciate it greatly if you didn't talk about your risque life in front of me. Or in public. Or in front of anyone whatsoever."

"Yeah yeah, I get it." Amethyst said as Peridot kissed her cheek one more time before heading from the room. Amethyst put her fingers to her head in a salute. "Scout's honor, I won't talk about how your daughter is such a good fuck in front of you or anyone else."

YD crossed her arms, pouting. "I'm tempted to have you kicked out of my house, you know."

"But you won't." Amethyst sat down in her chair and reached down to bring Peridot's chair back to a standing position. "I'm way too charming."

YD nodded in agreement. "I do admit, you have a certain charisma to you. It's a little frightening and relieving."

Amethyst cocked her head. "How so?"

"Well as far as I know, you've been incredibly lucky in your travels." YD explained. "You must have visited hundreds of home, dozens of towns and cities, and not once did someone try to take advantage of you?"

"Well if they wanted to, I never gave 'em a chance. I never really thought about it, though. Only experience I had with someone trying to rape me was my old pimp."

"Give me a name and I can have him arrested for you." YD suggested, but Amethyst shook her head.

"That's sweet of you, but my police friend Garnet already took him down. Dunno where Marty is, but I hope he's rotting."

"Oh, that man." YD said in realization. "Jasper wouldn't stop complaining about he tried to pay her for sex. Or that he thought she was a man."

"Yeah, the guy's a real dick. I don't know why my friend Vidalia got with him in the first place. So glad she dumped him."

"Who's she with now?"

"Some fisherman dude named YellowTail." Amethyst chuckled. "You know, it's kinda weird. Your name is Yellow, my friend's boyfriend is named Yellowtail. Oh, and get this!" Amethyst paused, the laughter rising in her. She rubbed her eye with the palm of her hand. "She and Marty had a kid, and you know what? They named him SourCream!" Amethyst hit her hand on the arm of her chair as if she had just told the most hilarious joke in the world. And, in Yellow Diamond's opinion, it wasn't that bad.

YD chuckled along with Amethyst's laughter, keeping herself composed more easily than her guest. When the laughter finally died down YD sighed. "Oh wow... I wonder what she'll name her second child, if she has one. Vidalia is a type of onion, so maybe that?"

"I don't think V would be _that_ obvious." Amethyst said, wiping a tear from her eye. "I mean, first SourCream, then Onion? That's like the flavor of the freaking chips. Sour cream and Onion."

"Maybe she'll pick a good name. I'm personally hoping for Onion."

"I like you, Miss D." Amethyst crossed her legs, resting her head in her hand. "I already told Peri this, but if we weren't together, I'd totally fuck you if you wanted."

"Well I'm certainly flattered." YD had the faintest hint of a rosy blush rise to her cheeks. "As you said though, you are in a relationship. But who knows..." YD licked her lips, pulling at the top of her bathrobe. "...maybe we can make something work. My daughter wouldn't have to know."

"Is this a test?" Amethyst asked with a nervous chuckle. Was she seriously being solicited for sex by her girlfriend's mother? "Cuz, uh... I honestly hope this is a test."

YD chuckled, running her hand through her hair. "Yes, this is a test. You really think I'd want you to cheat on my daughter for my own pleasure?"

Amethyst sighed in relief, uncrossing her legs as she relaxed in her chair. "Sorry. I mean, I've never been in a relationship until a bit more than a week ago. You get a lot of misleading shit from T.V sitcoms."

"I can't argue with you there." YD chuckled and stood from her chair. "I think I'm going to go to bed and sleep off this jet lag. It was nice meeting you Amethyst. My daughter is in good hands." She held out her hand, which Amethyst took to shake.

"Thanks. I mean, I don't have a job, I used to be a prostitute, and I've lived my life as a hobo for the past couple of years till I got to New York, but at least I'm emotionally stable."

"I am now weighing other options." YD said, though her smirk kept the mood joyful. They're hands came apart, and Amethyst put her hands behind her head.

"Well, since you're gonna head to bed and all, I'm gonna go find Peri."

"Sounds good to me." YD tugged at the sash of her bathrobe, tightening it. "Maybe you can help Jasper and Lapis calm her down. Actually, you can try calming all of them down. My employees must have been told about me by now."

"What, are they afraid of you or something?" Amethyst asked as she watched her girlfriend's mother walk to her door. YD stopped in the door way and turned to answer Amethyst.

"Oh, not at all. If Peridot's told them about my little... condition, I'd imagine that being afraid is furthest from their minds. I'd imagine they're more along the lines of seething rage."

* * *

" _I'M GONNA RIP HER FUCKING HEAD OFF AND SHIT DOWN HER GIRAFFE NECK!_ "

Peridot's knuckles were white as she gripped the sides of the chair she sat in. The fear that ran through her as she watched Jasper's uncontrolable anger, pounding her fist against the kitchen table with every other word. Of course, this fear was nowhere near how terrified she was when her mother was coughing up blood. Ironically, that was precisely what Jasper was so mad about.

Peridot, Jasper, and Lapis were in the kitchen of the Diamond Estate Guest House. It's significantly smaller than the kitchen of the actual mansion, but an impressive size nonetheless. The yellowish beige walls echoed Jasper's yells quite nicely. Lapis paced back and forth behind Jasper, rubbing her fingers against her temples. Both of them wore practically nothing. Lapis only wore Jasper's orange muscle tank top, which was three sizes too large for Lapis and threatened to fall down her shoulders, and Jasper wore a white sports bra with black boxer shorts.

"Y-you know..." Peridot started timidly. "She said she was fine."

"That's not the point!" Jasper's voice had quieted down a notch or two, but her anger still raged on as her fist pounded against the table. Peridot was starting to make a bet in her head on which would break first: the table, or Jasper's hand. "She never told us! Even when I picked that bitch up from the air port before, she never did that. Was she hiding it all this time?!"

"Well I don't wanna be Captain Obvious, but if you never knew until now, then..." Peridot trailed off, wincing as some skin on one of Jasper's knuckles flew broke, leaving drops of blood on the table. She looked passed Jasper to Lapis, who still paced. She couldn't get a grasp on exactly how her friend felt. "Lapis, Jasper's hand is bleeding."

Lapis paused in her pacing to look at the small blood puddle forming on the table, twice the size of Jasper's knuckle. She sighed and continued pacing. "Jasper honey, please stop punching the table."

"Just. One. More!" Jasper said. On the final word, her fist met the table with such intensity that it left a dent in the fine finish of the wooden surface. The bigger than average woman finally succumbed to pain, bending forward and resting her head on the table as she clenched her injured hand with her healthy one. "Ah, fuck!"

"I'll uh... grab a first aid kit." Peridot went to stand from her chair. Lapis wasn't having any of it though, turning her head to face her friend and speaking with a slightly raised tone of voice.

"Stay where you are. I'll get the kit."

Peridot didn't want to argue. She returned to he seated position and waited patiently as Lapis left the kitchen to look for the first aid kit. It was most likely in the bathroom. In this short interval, Peridot didn't dare utter a word. She stayed silent as Jasper ran water over her hand in the sink to clear the blood away for Lapis to clean in. They both ignored the blood on the table, deciding to clean it later. Silently, Lapis came back into the room carrying a plastic box with a red cross on it. It was assumed to be filled with bandages and disinfectant. The only sound following Lapis' administrations was the occasional hiss of pain that came from Jasper.

Peridot didn't think that Jasper would have such a reaction. She honestly didn't think the driver cared about Yellow Diamond at all. This made Peridot realize that she really knew next to nothing about her bigger friend.

Peridot knew that Lapis had run away from her home because her father was abusive toward her. The maid made her way to YD's mansion, sneaking passed the old security, and demanded a job. YD was so impressed that she allowed Lapis to be her made. But Peridot had absolutely know idea where Jasper even came from. She had just appeared out of nowhere, a couple of years older than Peridot and Lapis, already trained on how to drive a limo and where to drive to when needed. Back then, Peridot had just rolled with the situation; but now, she found a question biting at the tip of her tongue.

"Jasper?" Peridot asked.

"What is it?" Came a hoarse reply, Jasper's voice having been torn with all of her yelling.

Peridot bit her lip, hesitating before speaking her mind. "I uh... you never told me how you came to work for my mother, did you?"

"No, I didn't."

"Well do you think you could tell me? If you don't mind, of course."

Jasper didn't answer. Either her voice was too shot that she couldn't talk anymore, or it was that she didn't want to. She could have easily shaken her head no, but since she didn't, Peridot continued to wait.

Lapis sighed, having finished cleaning Jaspers wound with disinfectant and began wrapping her hand in bandages. "I can tell her, if you want me to."

Peridot was a little jealous that Jasper had told Lapis about how she became a driver for Yellow Diamond, but she rationalized that they were romantically involved. It was only natural that Jasper would tell Lapis her little secret. Jasper again stayed quiet, but she nodded her head. Lapis sighed again, and dropped the second biggest bomb Peridot had experienced that day.

"Yellow Diamond had a sister."

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **FINALLY! I'm SO SO sorry for the long wait! It took me forever until I was finally comfortable with the length of the chapter and how it ended. Because like I said many times before, I don't make any rough drafts; I make it all up on the spot. I told you it would come out before Halloween though!**

 **Most of you may already know who YD's sister is based on context clues, but I hope that it's a surprise to some of you at least. If you have any questions, feel free to send me a message or look me up on tumblr at 0zerotolerence "dot" tumblr "dot" com. You know what to do with the "dots."**

 **The next story to have a chapter coming out is Pearl's Rejuvenation. As always, so long for now.**


	31. New Beginnings

Garnet hated this part of the job. She walked down the street, hands in the pockets of her jeans, wearing a leather jacket to protect her from the cold. This attire, along with her usual sunglasses, would make anyone think she was part of some greaser street gang... and she might as well be. For the part of the job that Garnet hated was the part where she had to pack up her police uniform and turn it into the station. The police woman was let go.

So one would guess that calling Garnet a police woman would be false information now. She had no badge, no uniform, no gun; everything was taken away. Of course she understood why. She didn't report an immediate crime scene to her superiors, and even went so far as to let the prime suspect get away. Everyone at the precinct loved Amethyst, but that love didn't extent toward her girlfriend.

Even so, the eyewitness account from Sadie Miller helped to clear Peridot's name. A few questions and a lie detector test on Miss Miller improved Peridot's standing, but that still didn't clear her completely. When Garnet mentioned that Peridot was the daughter of multi-millionaire Yellow Diamond, however, they quickly changed their minds. Peridot was pronounced innocent on the spot, and she was never spoken of again. Then the attention turned to Garnet and her criminal actions of assisting a suspect. Even if Peridot got out of going to jail, the court had to punish _someone._

A few days of a background check left Garnet with a clean slate. Given that her actions were a lot less punishable than Peridot's, the court decided that the most they could do was strip Garnet of her rank. Oddly enough, she was okay with this. She knew the risks, but she wanted to take them anyway. Friendship was worth a lot more to her than a salary. The question now was: How will she provide for Ruby and Sapphire? She needed a job, and quickly. While she was walking down the street, Garnet saw Rose exit a general store with a bag of what she assumed to be supplies for the night's dinner. She guessed that Greg must be at home with Steven. She quickened her pace, raising her hand in greeting and speaking before Rose turned to leave.

"Hey Rose."

Rose stopped mid turn to walk back toward her home. She turned back toward Garnet, that same genuine smile on her face. Garnet loved that smile.

"Oh hello Garnet." Rose greeted enthusiastically, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear. "Almost didn't recognize you without the uniform. Are you off duty?"

Garnet grinned. "You could say that." She walked up beside Rose and they walked beside each other, continuing Rose's trip home. "You could also say that they put me on permanent leave."

"Really?" Rose asked in disbelief. The way her mouth hung open, how her free hand immediately went to Garnet's shoulder to try and comfort her; Garnet appreciated it. "I'm so sorry, Garnet. Was it because you protected Peridot?"

Despite everything, Garnet decided sarcasm was an appropriate choice. "No. It was the other rich girl with a gun."

"Please don't tell me you're upset with her." Rose was worried for Peridot, as well as Garnet's feelings toward her. That was predictable of the land lady, but Garnet thought it was also cute.

"Nah." She said, shrugging. "I chose to help her. It's all my fault for aiding and abetting a suspect; but, if given the chance... I'd do it again."

"I'm sure she appreciates that." Rose said warmly, taking her hand from Garnet's shoulder. "If you're looking for a new job, I could always use some help handling my rent ledgers. It gets busy trying to take care of Steven as is."

"You would do that for me?" Garnet couldn't believe her ears. Rose smiled and nodded.

It was that easy? Garnet had just gotten fired from her job as a police woman, and here Rose was just... dropping one in her lap. She would be able to provide for her family, to help Ruby and Sapphire through college when they graduate high school. They were about to go back for the second half of their semester anyway, so the timing was almost perfect too, since the school paid for their lunches. If Garnet took the job that was offered to her, she would be able to save money early. She would be able to act as a guardian to her sisters.

She stopped walking. Rose stopped as well, concerned for her friend. "Garnet?"

Garnet didn't say a word. She didn't have to. Rose watched as a tear rolled down her friend's cheek from under her sunglasses. Garnet brought her fingers to rub at her eyes under her shades, unable to control the shaking in her shoulders. Rose couldn't believe what she was seeing. The usually cool and collected Garnet, actually shedding tears. Her sisters meant that much to her. Perhaps she didn't think she would be able to find a job so quickly and easily, especially since it was her career as a police officer that she was fired from. Most employers would see Garnet as criminalistic. If she was unfit to protect the city, then she would be unfit to be part of it. She was fully prepared to apply for welfare so that Ruby and Sapphire could follow their dreams. She had no idea that something so miraculous could just stand right in front of her. Rose was a saint.

"Oh Garnet..." Rose placed her bag of groceries on the ground. Slowly, she wrapped her arms around Garnet's torso, pulling her into a hug. For a few moments, Garnet allowed Rose to hold her, to comfort her. Then she mirrored the action, placing her arms around Rose's neck, sighing.

"Thank you."

* * *

"My mom had a sister?" Peridot couldn't believe what she had just heard from Lapis. Her mother, Yellow Diamond, had a sister. To be completely honest, it wasn't that much of a shock. Sometimes this information just slips, and there's no helping it. So instead of being mad, Peridot was curious, especially about a certain keyword in Lapis' sentence. "What do you mean _had_?"

"She died a couple of years after you were adopted." Lapis explained. She had finished treating Jasper's hand and now just held it, if to give her girlfriend a bit of comfort. "Lung cancer."

"That's awful, but why is Jasper so riled up about it?"

"She was my mother."

Well now Peridot just felt like an ass. She stared, her mouth agape at Jasper. Her eyes were tired, and gone was the sharpness that they usually held. Lapis placed her other hand on Jasper's leg, gently squeezing. Her touch brought a small smile to Jasper, and she turned to face Peridot. "We're cousins. Technically."

"Oh my god..." Peridot couldn't think of what to say. With the information given, she could pretty much put two and two together. Jasper got so upset over Yellow Diamond hiding her condition because her mother must have done the same thing. Lung cancer can lead to jaundice, or having blood come up with one's coughs. YD's condition must be more serious than she specified. Peridot stood from her chair, trying to act composed, but the tone of her voice betrayed her to Lapis and Jasper. "I'm so sorry, Jasper, I... I have to go."

Before Peridot could turn to leave, however, Jasper reached across the table and gripped Peridot's wrist in her uninjured hand. "Hey now, I know what you're thinking."

"Then let me go!" Peridot struggled against Jasper's grip, even going so far as to try and pry Jasper's finger from her wrist with her other hand. Of course she knew it was futile; Jasper had a vice like grip. But Peridot was not about to sit around and do nothing if there was even the slightest possibility that her mother could be dying from cancer.

"And what if you're wrong, huh?" Jasper knew Peridot was smart. Through experience, she knew that her employer's daughter could understand a situation easily, and that was exactly why she had to stop Peridot here. "Despite what I believe, I reacted on my experiences alone. Don't just go up to her and tell her to get chemo. Hell, as rich as she is, you think she would've gotten treatment already!"

Peridot stopped struggling, instead thinking back on the conversation she had with her mother. She knew it, she _knew_ that Yellow Diamond wouldn't shave her head just because of a dumb prank!

"She did get treatment..." Peridot concluded out loud. "In Italy. She must've gotten her therapy there. Her hair is so short now."

Slowly, Jasper released her grip on Peridot's wrist. Lapis had stayed quiet up until this point. "So Miss Diamond's got a buzz cut now? I'd love to see that."

"Not cool, Lapis." Jasper scolded her girlfriend, who shrugged. Oddly enough, however, Peridot chuckled.

"That's... that's funny." Peridot sighed and sat in her chair again, leaning back to balance on the chair's legs. "She does look a little silly. After seeing her with all that hair she loved taking care of, it's, uh... pretty funny to see her like that."

"Are you okay?" Jasper asked. Really, she wouldn't blame Peridot if she were to start yelling and swearing until her voice was hoarse. Why was she so calm now?

Peridot nodded. "Oh I'm just great. I already lost two of my parents, what's one more?" She leaned forward again, practically slamming the front legs of her chair on the tile. "I mean, it's not like I saw my dad kill my mom, then kill himself. It's not like I was actually starting to feel like Yellow Diamond was a motherly figure in my life when she gave me advice and accepted my choices. I'm totally not tired of losing everything I've ever loved."

"I lost my mom too, Peri." Jasper stated, trying to calm her friend down. "And you know how Lapis feels about leaving her mom with her dad."

"I know, I know." Peridot said, pinching the bridge of her nose. "And I'm so, so sorry for your loss. Honestly, you have more right to be upset because you're actually related to her but I... I can't lose my mom again."

"Maybe you won't." Lapis said. "I mean, we're just spit balling, aren't we? Maybe it really is just her blood pressure and there's nothing to worry about."

Jasper crossed her arms and leaned back in her seat. "God, I hope so."

"You guys have alcohol, right?" Peridot asked as she leaned forward, resting her head on her crossed arms. "I think I could go for a drink."

Jasper smirked. "Yeah, but you're still underage, you know."

"Well so is Lapis."

"Just get the fucking booze, Jasper." Lapis said, rubbing her temples once more. "She needs it, I need it, we all need it."

Jasper looked Peridot up and down, as if thinking about whether she should provide alcohol to this underage girl or not. When her eyes rested on the purple bruises on Peridot's neck, however, she nodded. "I guess we could. We have something to celebrate, after all." Jasper stood and opened the cabinet beside the fridge, pulling a bottle of champagne from it.

"What do you mean celebrate?" Peridot asked, slightly offended. "I just found out that my mom just might have cancer. How's that cause for celebration?"

Jasper didn't say a word. She just turned back to the table, a smug look on her face, and bent down to whisper something in Lapis' ear. Lapis' eyes widened and she studied Peridot over. A smirk came across her lips and Jasper took her seat beside her girlfriend.

"You're right, Jasper." Lapis said, resting her chin in her hand. "This does call for celebration."

"What are you guys talking about?" Now Peridot was just confused instead of mad. She knew Lapis wouldn't egg her on like this if they were talking about her mother, so what could possibly need to be celebrated. Before anyone else had a chance to speak, a knock came to the door of the guest house.

Lapis quickly stood from the table. "I'll get it! Jasper, honey, pour Peri a nice big glass, would you?"

"Of course." Jasper didn't waste any time with the cork of the bottle. As Lapis left the kitchen to answer the door, Jasper pulled the cork from the glass bottle with a loud pop, with just her fingers. She reached back into the cabinet and grabbed a wine glass, filling it just below the rim. She was sure to tip the glass so that there would be more of the liquid and less fuzz. Jasper placed the glass in front of Peridot just as Lapis walked back into the kitchen with Amethyst.

"Oh Jasper, dear." Lapis called in a sing song voice, practically dancing to Jasper's side, grasping her arm. "Our second important guest has arrived."

Peridot beamed at the sight of her girlfriend, her smile wide as Amethyst took a seat beside her. "Hey Ame, how's my mom?" She asked, and Amethyst took a hold of her hand, shrugging.

"She's cool, as far as I can tell. Didn't have another episode while I was talking to her, if that's what you mean."

"That's good." Peridot sighed in relief, leaning her head on Amethyst's shoulder. "I don't know what I'd do without her."

Amethyst smiled and kissed Peridot's head. "I'm sure she'll be fine, babe. What I'm wondering is why your friends are apparently trying to get us drunk." Amethyst said, gesturing to the glasses of champagne in front of herself and her girlfriend. Why she and Peridot had their little conversation, Jasper took it upon herself to fill a glass for Amethyst as well.

"We're celebrating." Lapis said, raising her own, smaller glass after Jasper had filled it. "To your... relationship."

Peridot and Amethyst shared a look of confusion, then Peridot spoke. "Uh, we got together like, a week ago."

"Oh Peri, you misunderstand." Lapis replied. Once Jasper took her seat after pouring her own glass, Lapis stood and sat in Jasper's lap. "We're not celebrating just your relationship, are we honey?" She asked, looking up at Jasper. Jasper shook her head.

"Of course not. It's great that you two found each other, but that's not enough to call for champagne."

"Then just tell us what's going on!" Peridot demanded. Amethyst was quick to catch on, however. She chuckled and grabbed her glass of champagne, raising it along with Lapis and Jasper.

"You're damn right."

"I swear, if my life were any more like a fucking sit com..." Peridot groaned out. "Can someone just tell me what's going on?"

"You got laid, you little slut!" Lapis finally burst out, throwing all formalities aside. "You come in here with that huge hickey on your neck and you're really wondering why we're screwing with you?"

Peridot's expression changed drastically, from utter confusion to sheer embarrassment, her face practically exploding in a deep blush. Her eyes darted back and forth between Jasper and Lapis, and then to her girlfriend. Amethyst just smirked. "You're cute when you blush, you know that?"

Peridot opened her mouth, lifting her finger as if readying herself to go on an angry rant, but she paused. Instead, she took a deep breath and shook her head. "You know what, no. My mom already knows, I'm too far to be embarrassed now. Yes, Amethyst and I had sex last night, and I don't give a damn if everyone knows."

"You go, girl!" Jasper called out, taking a swig of her champagne. One by one, Lapis and Amethyst drank from their glasses to toast the sexual events that occurred the night before. Peridot hesitated, of course. The only drops of alcohol that had ever touched her lips was when her birth mother allowed her to taste from her beer. Truth be told, Peridot would rather forget those times. That wasn't her life anymore. Now, with the eyes of her closest friends and girlfriend on her, she wanted to move on, and live her new life. Peridot lifted her glass.

"I'm never letting society fuck me again. That's Amethyst's job."

"Here here." Amethyst cheered, clinking her glass against Peridot's. The rich girl smiled, and tilted the glass to her mouth.

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **The next chapter will definitely be longer. I already have something in mind for what I'd like it to be about. SPOILER WARNING: We're seeing a new character.**

 **Anyway, I hope you liked this chapter and how it turned out. In case it wasn't clear, Jasper's mom IS Pink Diamond. I didn't mention her name in here because in reality, it's easy to change subjects and I'd like to keep that realistically. At least, that's how my life has always been. Full of changing subjects. You probably already knew it was her, though, and if you didn't... whoops.**

 **I've also decided to make a new story. It's based off of a conversation I had with someone on Tumblr, whom shall remain nameless unless they give me permission to give out their name.**

 **Be on the lookout for my brand new Garnet x Jasper story, "Soft Knuckles." As always, so long for now.**


	32. New NEW Beginnings

A new day equals new opportunities. Whether one applies to their dream job and gets accepted, or simply finds a five-dollar bill on the ground, the world is wrought with probability. Every single day since birth, Amethyst looked forward to these outcomes. She looked for days where she was given an extra portion to her food by accident. She loved the times when she was lucky to be the first to take a shower, so that the water was good and hot. Most of all, she looked forward to all of her time with Peridot now that they were in a stable relationship.

Amethyst still chided herself for forgetting her best friend. She remembered the pain Peridot's leaving had caused her, and she saw it as not worth forgetting such a precious person. Of course it's easy to say that after such a long time, when all is said and done, but Amethyst still wished that circumstances could have been different with the same results.

Peridot, on the other hand, couldn't be happier. She had reunited with Amethyst and became friends with her all over again, even before regaining her memory. Then after Amethyst remembered everything that happened, they became an actual couple. Never in her life did Peridot believe that such things could happen in such a short amount of time after such a long amount of time. It was truly a miracle to her that things could have played out as well as they did, disregarding certain mishaps that occurred when they were reunited.

Yellow Diamond seemed to be doing well, also. Not once has she had an attack since the first time after returning from her trip. She told Peridot about her deceased sister when she confronted her about it. "I'm sorry for keeping that from you." YD had said with sincerity. After forgiveness and condolences were passed, Peridot got another shock when YD mentioned that she was actually a middle child to a family of six.

"Mother and father wanted a boy." YD explained. "Someone who would be seen as a respected figure who could take over their company, so they kept trying. Of course that was a different time, so it was understandable. When I stepped in, however, they were proud of me. Still are, I hope."

"You mean I have grandparents?" Peridot asked. YD nodded and continued her explanation.

"They were very nice to us all. Like I said, I'm a middle child. Pink, Jasper's mother, was the youngest. I have a twin named Blue, and White is our older sister." Peridot could hardly contain her laughter, given the information that all of her mother's family were named after colors.

Banter was shared, apologies were said, laughter was contagious, and all was well; at least, concerning the present party.

As time passed, members of Amethyst's group found their places as well. Vidalia found herself pregnant with her second child, who she decided to name Onion. Yellowtail had no objections, and even asked Vidalia to marry him, to which she happily said yes. Secondly, since Vidalia had settled down with someone and needed something to occupy her time since she no longer hired anyone for sex, she decided to take up painting. Amethyst thought her friend was rather talented, and was happy to be a model for her.

Garnet's new job as Rose's secretary was fantastic, and rather simple. Most of her work consisted of taking calls for Rose from people who may be interested in staying in one of Rose's apartments, which were apparently held all over New York. Garnet learned that Rose had many employees working at each of her apartment complexes, now including herself. She took calls from possible tenants, and if they weren't interested in the particular complex Garnet worked at, she would transfer the person's call to another part of the city.

Now simple does not mean easy. Garnet could hardly earn a moment's rest, not just because of the calls she was taking, but also because of the people that would come to her desk personally. She had no idea that Rose had dealt with so much, concerning all the free time she seemed to have during Christmas and New Years. Of course, since it _was_ Christmas, no one was really searching for an apartment at that time. With the holidays having passed, the business was back on. On top of all of this, Garnet had to collect monthly rent from her tenants as well as calculate all the bills that came through the door, since Rose's business was Rent Only. Of course, Ruby and Sapphire helped from time to time to lighten Garnet's load.

Lapis and Jasper were doing well for each other too. Since they both lived where they worked, it wasn't hard to spend time together. The only time they possibly had a chance to miss each other was when Jasper had to drive Yellow Diamond somewhere. Of course there were some days when YD would need to be out of the mansion for most of the day, but by the end of it, Jasper and Lapis were still able to fall asleep in each others arms.

Though, even with all of this peace, Amethyst couldn't help but feel a sense of uneasiness. It was as if, somehow, everything had fallen into her lap; she didn't like that. Above all things, she hated it when things were too easy for her. Of course she doesn't regret meeting Peridot again. She could never regret that. But she missed the feeling of not knowing what the next day was going to bring her. She missed meeting new people in her travels, every single day. It was such a wonder to see the different ways people lived, the different lifestyles. Exploration was her favorite thing about travelling. Amethyst realized that if she were to continue to meet new and exciting people, she would need to get a job where she could see people every day.

This is why, as she lay in bed with Peridot in the mansion, the sun having just hovered over the horizon, Amethyst couldn't wait to go out and see about Pearl getting her a job.

* * *

Amethyst and Peridot sat in the back of the limousine being driven by Jasper. They were on their way to where Pearl worked, described as a small convenience store that could easily be missed if one was not looking for it.

Amethyst couldn't sit still. She was far too excited to get back into the world again, to actually earn her way into an easy life. She wanted to pay her own bills, to get her own house. Over time, Amethyst wanted to go to college as well, earn a degree. She had no idea what she wanted to study for, but she didn't care, as long as it was something she could use in life.

Peridot could only sit and listen to Amethyst's excited ramblings. It was adorable really. Peridot held Amethyst's hand, smiling at the excitedness she showed. She had never seen Amethyst act like such a kid before. She was always the smooth talker, the one that would get Peridot hot under the collar, and now? It was hard to believe that she was the same woman whom she shared a bed with.

"Hey Amethyst!" Jasper called from the driver's seat. "You're gonna talk her ears off if you keep at it."

"Fuck you I'm excited!" Amethyst argued in one breath. "I'm gonna get a job! I'll actually be doing things! I'm gonna get my own money _without_ sucking dick!"

"You put your mouth on my mouth." Peridot playfully scolded. "Don't remind me of what's been in there."

"Seconded." Jasper said. "If you're gonna end up dating the heir to the Diamond fortune, you gotta learn to be at least a little more modest."

Amethyst scoffed. "Pfft, says you. And what were you and Lapis up to last night, huh?"

"Aaaand we're here!" Jasper slowed the limo to a halt, obviously avoiding her own hypocrisy.

Stepping out of the vehicle, Amethyst and Peridot found that the little store Pearl spoke of was actually quite small. If Pearl had not texted the exact address to Peridot beforehand, they would probably have never even noticed the shop. It reminded Peridot of the street in Harry Potter that everyone passes because it's protected by magic.

"We'll finish this later." Amethyst said, and Jasper gave her the finger. Amethyst and Peridot exited the limo, and Jasper sped off. Amethyst had promised previously to get Peridot home safe, so there was no need for Jasper to wait for them.

The shop itself was unextraordinary. It could be measured at barely ten feet in width, with only one door for people to enter and exit. The only vehicle actually parked outside of the little shop was a motorized bike. Amethyst took Peridot's hand and lead her inside. Pearl stood behind the counter at a cash register, wearing a light blue top with a name tag, and was in the midst of a conversation with a customer.

The girl Pearl was talking to, quite excitedly as well, was deeply engrossed in the conversation and didn't notice Amethyst or Peridot walk through the door. She wore a white crop top with her sleeves rolled up, had a jacket tied around her waist with several rectangles in different shades of green, along with combat boots. She was rather tall, nearly as tall as Garnet, and had dyed pink hair. She had green eyes, a lip piercing, and Peridot honestly thought she looked like Rose. Pearl was speaking at the moment, and just like the stranger, she didn't notice Peridot or Amethyst enter the shop.

"-but after a few more days, I'll be able to take this thing off." Pearl finished her sentence that Peridot and Amethyst missed the first half of. She gestured to the splint on her nose, and Peridot felt a pit in her stomach, remembering what happened to Pearl that horrid day.

"That's one helluva day." The stranger said, propping her elbow on the counter between Pearl and herself. "I gotta meet this friend of yours. Need to thank her for saving your skin."

Pearl shook her head. "I'd rather you didn't. She's been through enough Hell as it is. Doesn't need to be reminded about all that."

"Little too late for that." Peridot spoke, catching Pearl and her new friend's attention.

"Oh, Peridot!" Pearl's face heated up in embarrassment. "Amethyst, I-I didn't notice you come in."

"So, this is our little killer, huh?" The pink haired woman stated, stepping forward and holding her hand out for Peridot to take. "Call me Sheena. Or Storm. Or just S. I got a lot of names."

Peridot stared at the hand offered to her. She felt Amethyst's hand slip into her own, giving a reassuring squeeze. At first, Peridot felt upset that Pearl would tell a complete stranger about the trouble they've gone through, but with Amethyst by her side, she figured the past should just stay in the past. Peridot smiled and took Sheena's hand.

"Peridot, but you know that already. And "little killer?" Not much for sensitivity, are you?"

"Well you don't seem worse for wear." Sheena says, not bothering with an apology. "You've got a good look in your eyes, especially after something like that."

Peridot shrugged. "I have good friends."

"Right about that, you are." Sheena said, imitating Yoda. Amethyst covered her mouth, stifling a laugh. Sheena turned back toward Pearl. She took some paper out from her pocket, wrote down her number, and laid it on the counter. "Gimme a call sometime. I'm in New York for the next month." Then she was out the door. Pearl didn't even respond. She just clutched that piece of paper to her chest with a goofy smile on her face. It's as if the last minute of interaction never even happened.

"Yo P." Amethyst said, snapping her fingers. Pearl was brought back to reality, looking at Peridot and Amethyst. The sound of the motor bike they had seen outside earlier signified Sheena's departure.

"Oh, hi!" Pearl greeted, almost too cheerfully. "I didn't see you guys come in."

"You said that already." Peridot said, and Pearl's face once again became pink in a blush.

Amethyst smirked. "Oh shit, someone's got a crush!"

"I do not!" It was evident by Pearl's deep red face that she did. Peridot stepped up to the counter, deciding to end this little argument before it began.

"Your crush aside, we're here for that interview Amethyst has been meaning to get to."

"I do not have a crush on her!" Pearl insisted, but sighed. She crossed her arms and gestured to the door behind the counter. "Owner's in there. Her name is Nanefua. Nice lady but doesn't beat around the bush."

"Nanefua?" Amethyst repeated. Peridot answered.

"It's an African name. West African, I think. Most likely from Ghana."

Pearl and Amethyst stared at Peridot in disbelief. She just shrugged. "Hey, I was adopted by the richest person in this state, the country, and most likely the entire continent. I have an education of a master's degree college graduate in almost every basic field. I'm bound to know something about other cultures."

At this moment, the door to the back room behind the counter opened. A rather short lady emerged, dressed in a light green shirt, almost tan colored shorts, and a light pink scarf around her neck. Her hair was grey and pulled up in a bun, and like Peridot guessed, her skin tone gave off the impression that she was of African descent.

"Oh, Nanefua!" Pearl greeted, and gestured to Amethyst. "Perfect timing, this is the girl I was telling you about."

Without skipping a beat, Nanefua held her hand out for Amethyst to take. "Oh, it is nice to finally meet you. Pearl speaks very highly of you."

Peridot stepped back to give the interviewer and interviewee some room. Amethyst took Nanefua's unusually small hand and shook it. She started to introduce herself. "Nice to meet you to- "

"How much should I pay you for your work?"

Nanafua cut Amethyst off before she even had the chance to complete a full sentence. Pearl stood up straight, attempting to be as boring and unnoticeable as possible, and Peridot wondered if she should just leave the building entirely. Above all things, though, both Peridot and Pearl hoped that Amethyst would keep things professional.

"Granny, with how hard I'm gonna work, you're lucky I don't ask for more than minimum wage."

 _God dammit._ Pearl and Peridot thought. Peridot face-palmed while Pearl just stood there, not quite surprised that Amethyst would do something as stupid as be sassy in an interview for a job. But of course, as usual, Amethyst's lucked out. Nanefua laughed, breaking the handshake and clapping Amethyst's hand.

"I _like_ you. You are hired."

"Say what?" Amethyst asked in disbelief, and the other girls' expressions mimicked Amethyst's confusion.

"I was getting bored. It's about time we got a little smart ass in here." Nanefua did a complete one-eighty and walked right back into the office. "Follow me. We will get your paperwork settled and Pearl will start training you today."

Amethyst couldn't do anything but repeat herself. "Say what?"

Peridot wrapped her arms around Amethyst from behind, recovering quickly and kissing her girlfriend's head. "You did it! I mean, hired on the spot _and_ starting today! Surprising given the circumstances, but you did it!"

It was all happening so fast. Amethyst felt herself being pushed toward the back by Peridot. She saw Nanefua sitting at a desk through the doorway, ruffling through some papers to find the new hire paperwork. Before she knew it, Amethyst was forced into the room and the door closed behind her, Nanefua giving her an expecting look, gesturing to the empty chair across the desk. Was this all there was to it?

"B-but what about the interview?" Amethyst asked, seemingly desperate. "You're not gonna do a background check on me? I-I thought I was going to go through a bunch of steps or something and I'd be working in like, a couple weeks."

"I told you." Nanefua replied. "I like that you are a smart ass. And I need people."

"But I was a whore!" Amethyst exclaimed. She couldn't believe this. It was way too easy to just have something like this fall in her lap. "I sucked dick for a living. I was paid to have guys cum on my tits and girls to grind their pussies on my face. How can you hire me without thinking about what I could've done?"

"Are you sure you want this job?" Nanefua asked. "Telling any other employer all of that, they would kick you out on the spot."

"That's what you _should_ do!"

" _Enough!"_ Nanefua stood from her chair, slamming her hands on the desk. Amethyst flinched. Despite Nanefua's short stature, her accent and clear natural instinct as an authoritative figure silenced Amethyst. Nanefua sat back in her chair, sighing. "You are the most difficult girl I have ever met. You come here for an interview, yet you give me every right to throw you out. You are a very difficult girl indeed."

"B-but I- "

"No buts!" Nanefua interrupted. "The past is the past. You _used_ to be a whore. You used to do those things for money. Now, you want a proper job and to fly straight. Do not waste this opportunity that some people can only dream of. If I do not like you once you start your work, I fire you. Simple."

Amethyst couldn't believe what was happening. It had all happened so fast, too. One second, she was sitting in a limo with her girlfriend, on her way to an interview which she never even imagined she could pass. The next second, she's standing in her interviewer's office, actively being told after barely five seconds of interaction to sit down and fill out the paper work for new hires. Amethyst's life was definitely fucked up. She roamed the country side, slept at stranger's houses, and became a prostitute after coming to New York. But none of that even came close to how easy of a life she seemed to be taking a direction in. That terrified her more than anything.

But, all things considered, has she ever really allowed herself a moment to just think for herself? The only decisions she's ever made for herself, concerning her own happiness, were when she left the orphanage, and when she remembered Peridot and became her girlfriend. Was it okay to be selfish? Was it okay to let life be nice to her for once and take an easygoing job that was practically shoved into her face?

 _Well why the fuck not?_ Amethyst thought. She rubbed the back of her head and took a seat in the chair across from Nanefua. Amethyst leaned back in her chair and rubbed her nose, staring at her new employer from across the table. "Lady, there ain't no flying "straight" for this girl." Amethyst said with a smirk.

Nanefua smiled. "That is the spirit!"

* * *

 **Author's Note:**

 **Fucking. Finally.**

 **I am so sorry for how long it took me to actually finish this chapter. Every day, I would think about this story and think "Oh, I'll get to it later today!" and it NEVER FUCKING HAPPENED. Until today.**

 **Today, I finally finished the first chapter to open up the second Act of Dirty Ambitions. In fact, if I were to put this in novelized form, this would be the start of "Book Two." I know it's not professional. It's far from it. Fanfiction is my only experience in any sort of story building, at least by myself. But I hope that you guys can enjoy my work nonetheless.  
**

 **Thank you so much for your patience. I can say with absolute certainty that NONE of my stories are forgotten. NONE of my stories are going to hang in the air without a final chapter. I'm going to finish every single one of them.**

 **Anyway, I hope you guys like this chapter. I feel like it's a bit rushed, but I do need to get back into the swing of things. As always, so long for now.**


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